The human milk project: a quality improvement initiative to increase human milk consumption in very low birth weight infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Laura; Auer, Christine; Smith, Carrie; Schoettker, Pamela J; Pruett, Raymond; Shah, Nilesh Y; Kotagal, Uma R

2012-08-01

Human milk has well-established health benefits for preterm infants. We conducted a multidisciplinary quality improvement effort aimed at providing at least 500 mL of human milk/kg in the first 14 days of life to very low birth weight (VLBW) (milk program, and twice-daily physician evaluation of infants' ability to tolerate feedings. The number of infants receiving at least 500 mL of human milk/kg in their first 14 days of life increased from 50% to 80% within 11 months of implementation, and this increase has been sustained for 4 years. Infants who met the feeding goal because they received donor milk increased each year. Since September 2007, infants have received, on average, 1,111 mL of human milk/kg. Approximately 4% of infants did not receive any human milk. Respiratory instability was the most frequent physiological reason given by clinicians for not initiating or advancing feedings in the first 14 days of life. Our quality improvement initiative resulted in a higher consumption of human milk in VLBW infants in the first 14 days of life. Other clinicians can use these described quality improvement methods and techniques to improve their VLBW babies' consumption of human milk.

Human Performance Evaluation System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardwick, R.J. Jr.

1985-01-01

Operating nuclear power plants requires high standards of performance, extensive training and responsive management. Despite our best efforts inappropriate human actions do occur, but they can be managed. An extensive review of License Event Reports (LERs) was conducted which indicated continual inadequacy in human performance and in evaluation of root causes. Of some 31,000 LERs, about 5,000 or 16% were directly attributable to inappropriate actions. A recent analysis of 87 Significant Event Reports (issued by INPO in 1983) identified inappropriate actions as being the most frequent root cause (44% of the total). A more recent analysis of SERs issued in 1983 and 1984 indicate that 52% of the root causes were attributed to human performance. The Human Performance Evaluation System (HPES) is a comprehensive, coordinated utility/industry system for evaluating and reporting human performance situtations. HPES is a result of the realization that current reporting system provide limited treatment of human performance and rarely provide adequate information about root causes of inappropriate actions by individuals. The HPES was implemented to identify and eliminate root causes of inappropriate actions

Evaluation in health promotion: thoughts from inside a human research ethics committee.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Judy; Flack, Felicity

2015-12-01

Health promotion research, quality improvement and evaluation are all activities that raise ethical issues. In this paper, the Chair and a member of human resear ch ethics committees provide an insiders' point of view on how to demonstrate ethical conduct in health promotion research and quality improvement. Several common issues raised by health promotion research and evaluation are discussed including researcher integrity, conflicts of interest, use of information, consent and privacy.

Instructors' Evaluation as an Instrument to Improve Performance and Determine Competence

Science.gov (United States)

Laei, Soosan; Abdi, Ali; Karamaerouz, Mohamad Javad; Shirkhani, Nassim

2014-01-01

Experts in human resources management have suggested common objectives for evaluating performance of all organizations, including motivation and improvement of staff performance, identification of competence and skills, identification of educational needs and developmental contexts, etc. Achievement to these objectives is -a responsibility of…

HUMAN FACTORS GUIDANCE FOR CONTROL ROOM EVALUATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

OHARA, J.; BROWN, W.; STUBLER, W.; HIGGINS, J.; WACHTEL, J.; PERSENSKY, J.J.

2000-01-01

The Human-System Interface Design Review Guideline (NUREG-0700, Revision 1) was developed by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to provide human factors guidance as a basis for the review of advanced human-system interface technologies. The guidance consists of three components: design review procedures, human factors engineering guidelines, and a software application to provide design review support called the ''Design Review Guideline.'' Since it was published in June 1996, Rev. 1 to NUREG-0700 has been used successfully by NRC staff, contractors and nuclear industry organizations, as well as by interested organizations outside the nuclear industry. The NRC has committed to the periodic update and improvement of the guidance to ensure that it remains a state-of-the-art design evaluation tool in the face of emerging and rapidly changing technology. This paper addresses the current research to update of NUREG-0700 based on the substantial work that has taken place since the publication of Revision 1

Reducing the occurrence of plant events through improved human performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ross, T.; Burkhart, A.D.

1993-01-01

During a routine control room surveillance, the reactor operator is distracted by an alarming secondary annunciator and a telephone call. When the reactor operator resumes the surveillance, he inadvertently performs the procedural steps out of order. This causes a reportable nuclear event. How can procedure-related human performance problems such as this be prevented? The question is vitally important for the nuclear industry. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data observed, open-quotes With the perceived reduction in the number of events caused by equipment failures, INPO and other industry groups and human performance experts agree that a key to continued improvement in plant performance and safety is improved human performance.close quotes In fact, open-quotes more than 50% of the reportable events occurring at nuclear power plants involve human error.close quotes Prevention (or correction) of a human performance problem is normally based on properly balancing the following three factors: (1) supervisory involvement; (2) personnel training; and (3) procedures. The nuclear industry is implementing a formula known as ACME, which better balances supervisory involvement, personnel training, and procedures. Webster's New World Dictionary defines acme as the highest point, the peak. ACME human performance is the goal: ACME Adherence to and use of procedures; Self-Checking; Management Involvement; and Event Investigations

Evaluate to Improve: Useful Approaches to Student Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Golding, Clinton; Adam, Lee

2016-01-01

Many teachers in higher education use feedback from students to evaluate their teaching, but only some use these evaluations to improve their teaching. One important factor that makes the difference is the teacher's approach to their evaluations. In this article, we identify some useful approaches for improving teaching. We conducted focus groups…

Acquisition and improvement of human motor skills: Learning through observation and practice

Science.gov (United States)

Iba, Wayne

1991-01-01

Skilled movement is an integral part of the human existence. A better understanding of motor skills and their development is a prerequisite to the construction of truly flexible intelligent agents. We present MAEANDER, a computational model of human motor behavior, that uniformly addresses both the acquisition of skills through observation and the improvement of skills through practice. MAEANDER consists of a sensory-effector interface, a memory of movements, and a set of performance and learning mechanisms that let it recognize and generate motor skills. The system initially acquires such skills by observing movements performed by another agent and constructing a concept hierarchy. Given a stored motor skill in memory, MAEANDER will cause an effector to behave appropriately. All learning involves changing the hierarchical memory of skill concepts to more closely correspond to either observed experience or to desired behaviors. We evaluated MAEANDER empirically with respect to how well it acquires and improves both artificial movement types and handwritten script letters from the alphabet. We also evaluate MAEANDER as a psychological model by comparing its behavior to robust phenomena in humans and by considering the richness of the predictions it makes.

Human factors evaluation of the 1998 NORS MMI in HAMMLAB

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sebok, Angelia; Beere, Barnaby; Chung, Kyung-Hun

1999-05-01

The following document describes a Human Factors evaluation of NORS MMI in HAMMLAB. The purpose of this evaluation was to offer feedback on the usability of the current interface, to offer suggestions for improvement, and to provide useful input for MMI design in the HAMMLAB 2000 project. The evaluation was conducted using a variety of techniques: comparing the design to human factors guidelines, interviewing various HAMMLAB personnel, reviewing operator comments on the NORS interface, and assessing videotapes of operator performance in HAMMLAB. Based on this evaluation, strengths and weaknesses of the interface have been identified. Strengths include the overview display, the process format layout, the dedicated interaction areas, use of coding techniques, opportunities for comparing parameter trends, and flexibility of use. Issues for improvement have been identified regarding controls, feedback, consistency, navigation, information presentation, colour coding, symbols, naming conventions, labelling, and readability. Issues have also been identified specifically for the trend displays, logic diagrams, alarm system, and overview displays. To improve the interface, several approaches may be considered. The problems in the interface may be classified according to how realistic they are to modify. Some problems can be fixed by design changes, some require changes to the simulator data base, and others require additional hardware. Once problems are classified, they can be fixed or handled appropriately. Potential strategies for handling the more complicated design problems include personnel selection, training, procedures, job performance aids, or a help system (author) (ml)

Human abuse liability evaluation of CNS stimulant drugs.

Science.gov (United States)

Romach, Myroslava K; Schoedel, Kerri A; Sellers, Edward M

2014-12-01

Psychoactive drugs that increase alertness, attention and concentration and energy, while also elevating mood, heart rate and blood pressure are referred to as stimulants. Despite some overlapping similarities, stimulants cannot be easily categorized by their chemical structure, mechanism of action, receptor binding profile, effects on monoamine uptake, behavioral pharmacology (e.g., effects on locomotion, temperature, and blood pressure), therapeutic indication or efficacy. Because of their abuse liability, a pre-market assessment of abuse potential is required for drugs that show stimulant properties; this review article focuses on the clinical aspects of this evaluation. This includes clinical trial adverse events, evidence of diversion or tampering, overdoses and the results of a human abuse potential study. While there are different types of human experimental studies that can be employed to evaluate stimulant abuse potential (e.g., drug discrimination, self-administration), only the human abuse potential study and clinical trial adverse event data are required for drug approval. The principal advances that have improved human abuse potential studies include using study enrichment strategies (pharmacologic qualification), larger sample sizes, better selection of endpoints and measurement strategies and more carefully considered interpretation of data. Because of the methodological advances, comparisons of newer studies with historical data is problematic and may contribute to a biased regulatory framework for the evaluation of newer stimulant-like drugs, such as A2 antagonists. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'CNS Stimulants'. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Veterinary and human vaccine evaluation methods

Science.gov (United States)

Knight-Jones, T. J. D.; Edmond, K.; Gubbins, S.; Paton, D. J.

2014-01-01

Despite the universal importance of vaccines, approaches to human and veterinary vaccine evaluation differ markedly. For human vaccines, vaccine efficacy is the proportion of vaccinated individuals protected by the vaccine against a defined outcome under ideal conditions, whereas for veterinary vaccines the term is used for a range of measures of vaccine protection. The evaluation of vaccine effectiveness, vaccine protection assessed under routine programme conditions, is largely limited to human vaccines. Challenge studies under controlled conditions and sero-conversion studies are widely used when evaluating veterinary vaccines, whereas human vaccines are generally evaluated in terms of protection against natural challenge assessed in trials or post-marketing observational studies. Although challenge studies provide a standardized platform on which to compare different vaccines, they do not capture the variation that occurs under field conditions. Field studies of vaccine effectiveness are needed to assess the performance of a vaccination programme. However, if vaccination is performed without central co-ordination, as is often the case for veterinary vaccines, evaluation will be limited. This paper reviews approaches to veterinary vaccine evaluation in comparison to evaluation methods used for human vaccines. Foot-and-mouth disease has been used to illustrate the veterinary approach. Recommendations are made for standardization of terminology and for rigorous evaluation of veterinary vaccines. PMID:24741009

Human-centred radiological software techniques supporting improved nuclear safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szoeke, Istvan; Johnsen, Terje

2013-01-01

The Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) is an international research foundation for energy and nuclear technology. IFE is also the host for the international OECD Halden Reactor Project. The Software Engineering Department in the Man Technology Organisation at IFE is a leading international centre of competence for the development and evaluation of human-centred technologies, process visualisation, and the lifecycle of high integrity software important to safety. This paper is an attempt to give a general overview of the current, and some of the foreseen, research and development of human-centred radiological software technologies at the Software Engineering department to meet with the need of improved radiological safety for not only nuclear industry but also other industries around the world. (author)

A Low Power, Parallel Wearable Multi-Sensor System for Human Activity Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yuecheng; Jia, Wenyan; Yu, Tianjian; Luan, Bo; Mao, Zhi-Hong; Zhang, Hong; Sun, Mingui

2015-04-01

In this paper, the design of a low power heterogeneous wearable multi-sensor system, built with Zynq System-on-Chip (SoC), for human activity evaluation is presented. The powerful data processing capability and flexibility of this SoC represent significant improvements over our previous ARM based system designs. The new system captures and compresses multiple color images and sensor data simultaneously. Several strategies are adopted to minimize power consumption. Our wearable system provides a new tool for the evaluation of human activity, including diet, physical activity and lifestyle.

Human factors evaluation of remote afterloading brachytherapy: Human error and critical tasks in remote afterloading brachytherapy and approaches for improved system performance. Volume 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Callan, J.R.; Kelly, R.T.; Quinn, M.L. [Pacific Science and Engineering Group, San Diego, CA (United States)] [and others

1995-05-01

Remote Afterloading Brachytherapy (RAB) is a medical process used in the treatment of cancer. RAB uses a computer-controlled device to remotely insert and remove radioactive sources close to a target (or tumor) in the body. Some RAB problems affecting the radiation dose to the patient have been reported and attributed to human error. To determine the root cause of human error in the RAB system, a human factors team visited 23 RAB treatment sites in the US The team observed RAB treatment planning and delivery, interviewed RAB personnel, and performed walk-throughs, during which staff demonstrated the procedures and practices used in performing RAB tasks. Factors leading to human error in the RAB system were identified. The impact of those factors on the performance of RAB was then evaluated and prioritized in terms of safety significance. Finally, the project identified and evaluated alternative approaches for resolving the safety significant problems related to human error.

Human factors evaluation of remote afterloading brachytherapy: Human error and critical tasks in remote afterloading brachytherapy and approaches for improved system performance. Volume 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Callan, J.R.; Kelly, R.T.; Quinn, M.L.

1995-05-01

Remote Afterloading Brachytherapy (RAB) is a medical process used in the treatment of cancer. RAB uses a computer-controlled device to remotely insert and remove radioactive sources close to a target (or tumor) in the body. Some RAB problems affecting the radiation dose to the patient have been reported and attributed to human error. To determine the root cause of human error in the RAB system, a human factors team visited 23 RAB treatment sites in the US The team observed RAB treatment planning and delivery, interviewed RAB personnel, and performed walk-throughs, during which staff demonstrated the procedures and practices used in performing RAB tasks. Factors leading to human error in the RAB system were identified. The impact of those factors on the performance of RAB was then evaluated and prioritized in terms of safety significance. Finally, the project identified and evaluated alternative approaches for resolving the safety significant problems related to human error

Measurement and evaluation of human factor training in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamasaki, Kenichi

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study is to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of human factor training aimed at awareness and behavioral changes, conducted by electric power company for the nuclear power plant staff. As the first step, the researcher investigated recent trends in training measurement and evaluation methods in the United States. It was found that many instances of training measurement/evaluation had been reported, and that the ROI model was the mainstream method for such measurement and evaluation. However, there had been no instances reported in which the effectiveness of human factor training for plant staff had been measured. The researcher therefore developed a new questionnaire-type of effectiveness measurement/evaluation method, based on the framework of the ROI model. Two-years of research was then conducted, in which the effectiveness of a human factor training program was measured using the newly developed method. This research revealed that participants' overall satisfaction and knowledge/skill acquisition levels were high. The percentage of participants who demonstrated awareness/behavioral change after returning to the workplace increased from 50% at first measurement to 81% at second measurement. It can therefore be concluded that the effectiveness of the second training is greater than that of the first training. Use of the new effectiveness measurement/evaluation method will enable quantification of human factor training effectiveness and help improve training quality. (author)

A Study on the Development of Improved Event Severity Evaluation Framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Yong Suk; Kim, Ji Tae; Lee, Durk Hun

2011-01-01

An integrated framework for evaluation of event significance developed early in 2010 (which is named as KNES framework). This framework allowed determination of the integrated event significance and the appropriate level of event response. However, the improvement of Knees framework was needed because the framework had the following limitations : - The KNES framework had some overlaps between the specific factors in matrices in many steps. - The KNES framework had not detailed guideline for event severity determination in some steps (for example, human factor assessment steps) - It was not easy to determine the event severity within a short time using the KNES framework. Etc. The KNES framework developed in 2010 has been recently improved by Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS). This paper describes the basic concept of the improved framework for evaluation of event significance, focusing on the assessment hierarchy

Development of a Field Management Standard for Improving Human Factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, Young Su; Son, Il Moon; Son, Byung Chang; Kwak, Hyo Yean

2009-07-01

This project is to develop a management guideline for improving human performances as a part of the Human Factors Management System of Kori unit 1 which is managing all of human factors items such as man-machine system interfaces, work procedures, work environments, and human reliabilities in nuclear power plants. Human factors engineering includes an human factors suitability analysis and improvement of human works, an analysis of accidents by human error, an improvement of work environment, an establishment of human factors management rules and a development of human resources to manage and perform those things consistently. For assisting these human factors engineering tasks, we developed human factors management guidelines, checklists and work procedures to be used in staffing, qualification, training, and human information requirements and workload. We also provided a software tool for managing the above items. Additionally, contents and an item pool for a human factors qualifying examination and training programs were developed. A procedures improvement and a human factors V and V on the Kori unit 1 have been completed as a part of this project, too

Earth Observation Data for Mapping and Evaluation of Ecosystem Services to Improve Human Livelihoods and Conserve Species

Science.gov (United States)

Shapiro, Aurelie C.; Bhagabati, Nirmal

2010-12-01

Mapping and evaluating ecosystem services is of increasing concern and urgency for conservation organizations such as WWF. Coupling biodiversity assessments with ecosystem services e.g., carbon sequestration, water regulation, sediment reduction, is an effective way to visualize additional financial and human benefits of conservation for decision makers. WWF is eager to apply various Earth Observation data to conservation applications for consistent mapping and monitoring of natural ecosystems and the potential impacts of their loss on humans and wildlife alike. Such examples include forest carbon mapping, integrated evaluation of ecosystem services (via the InVEST tool) and bundling endangered Tiger habitat with various ecosystem services for bundled benefits.

Design and Evaluation of Human System Interfaces (HSIs)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-07-01

In the safe operation of nuclear power plants and other complex process industries the performance of the control room crews plays an important role. In this respect a well-functioning and well-designed Human-System Interface (HSI) is crucial for safe and efficient operation of the plant. It is therefore essential that the design, development and evaluation of both control rooms and HSI-solutions are conducted in a well-structured way, applying sound human factors principles and guidelines in all phases of the HSI development process. Many nuclear power plants around the world are currently facing major modernisation of their control rooms. In this process computerised, screen-based HSIs replace old conventional operator interfaces. In new control rooms, both in the nuclear field and in other process industries, fully digital, screen-based control rooms are becoming the standard. It is therefore of particular importance to address the design and evaluation of screen-based HSIs in a systematic and consistent way in order to arrive at solutions which take proper advantage of the possibilities for improving operator support through the use of digital, screen-based HSIs, at the same time avoiding pitfalls and problems in the use of this technology. The Halden Reactor Project, in cooperation with the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, organised an International Summer School on ''Design and Evaluation of Human-System Interfaces (HSIs)'' in Halden, Norway in the period August 25th - 29th, 2003. The Summer School addressed the different steps in design, development and evaluation of HSIs, and the human factors principles, standards and guidelines which should be followed in this process. The lectures comprised both theoretical background, as well as examples of good and bad HSI design, thereby providing practical advice in design and evaluation of operator interfaces and control room solutions to the participants in the Summer School. This CD contains the

Design and Evaluation of Human System Interfaces (HSIs)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-07-01

In the safe operation of nuclear power plants and other complex process industries the performance of the control room crews plays an important role. In this respect a well-functioning and well-designed Human-System Interface (HSI) is crucial for safe and efficient operation of the plant. It is therefore essential that the design, development and evaluation of both control rooms and HSI-solutions are conducted in a well-structured way, applying sound human factors principles and guidelines in all phases of the HSI development process. Many nuclear power plants around the world are currently facing major modernisation of their control rooms. In this process computerised, screen-based HSIs replace old conventional operator interfaces. In new control rooms, both in the nuclear field and in other process industries, fully digital, screen-based control rooms are becoming the standard. It is therefore of particular importance to address the design and evaluation of screen-based HSIs in a systematic and consistent way in order to arrive at solutions which take proper advantage of the possibilities for improving operator support through the use of digital, screen-based HSIs, at the same time avoiding pitfalls and problems in the use of this technology. The Halden Reactor Project, in cooperation with the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, organised an International Summer School on ''Design and Evaluation of Human-System Interfaces (HSIs)'' in Halden, Norway in the period August 25th - 29th, 2003. The Summer School addressed the different steps in design, development and evaluation of HSIs, and the human factors principles, standards and guidelines which should be followed in this process. The lectures comprised both theoretical background, as well as examples of good and bad HSI design, thereby providing practical advice in design and evaluation of operator interfaces and control room solutions to the participants in the Summer School. This CD contains the Proceedings of the

Design and Evaluation of Human System Interfaces (HSIs)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

In the safe operation of nuclear power plants and other complex process industries the performance of the control room crews plays an important role. In this respect a well-functioning and well-designed Human-System Interface (HSI) is crucial for safe and efficient operation of the plant. It is therefore essential that the design, development and evaluation of both control rooms and HSI-solutions are conducted in a well-structured way, applying sound human factors principles and guidelines in all phases of the HSI development process. Many nuclear power plants around the world are currently facing major modernisation of their control rooms. In this process computerised, screen-based HSIs replace old conventional operator interfaces. In new control rooms, both in the nuclear field and in other process industries, fully digital, screen-based control rooms are becoming the standard. It is therefore of particular importance to address the design and evaluation of screen-based HSIs in a systematic and consistent way in order to arrive at solutions which take proper advantage of the possibilities for improving operator support through the use of digital, screen-based HSIs, at the same time avoiding pitfalls and problems in the use of this technology. The Halden Reactor Project, in cooperation with the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, organised an International Summer School on ''Design and Evaluation of Human-System Interfaces (HSIs)'' in Halden, Norway in the period August 25th - 29th, 2003. The Summer School addressed the different steps in design, development and evaluation of HSIs, and the human factors principles, standards and guidelines which should be followed in this process. The lectures comprised both theoretical background, as well as examples of good and bad HSI design, thereby providing practical advice in design and evaluation of operator interfaces and control room solutions to the participants in the Summer School. This CD contains the Proceedings of the

Managing Human Performance to Improve Nuclear Facility Operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

One of the IAEA's statutory objectives is to 'seek to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world.' One way this objective is achieved is through the publication of a range of technical series. Two of these are the IAEA Nuclear Energy Series and the IAEA Safety Standards Series. According to Article III.A.6 of the IAEA Statute, the safety standards establish 'standards of safety for protection of health and minimization of danger to life and property'. The safety standards include the Safety Fundamentals, Safety Requirements and Safety Guides. These standards are written primarily in a regulatory style, and are binding on the IAEA for its own programmes. The principal users are the regulatory bodies in Member States and other national authorities. The IAEA Nuclear Energy Series comprises reports designed to encourage and assist R and D on, and application of, nuclear energy for peaceful uses. This includes practical examples to be used by owners and operators of utilities in Member States, implementing organizations, academia, and government officials, among others. This information is presented in guides, reports on technology status and advances, and best practices for peaceful uses of nuclear energy based on inputs from international experts. The IAEA Nuclear Energy Series complements the IAEA Safety Standards Series. IAEA Nuclear Energy Series No. NG-G-2.1, Managing Human Resources in the Field of Nuclear Energy, was published in 2009. In that publication, four interrelated objectives of the management of human resources were identified and discussed: ensuring that nuclear industry personnel have the necessary competence for their jobs; effectively organizing work activities; anticipating human resource needs; and monitoring and continually improving performance. This publication addresses the fourth objective and, in particular, summarizes good practices in the area of managing human performance

Use of Human Reliability Insights to Improve Decision-Making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Julius, J. A.; Moieni, P.; Grobbelaar, J.; Kohlhepp, K.

2016-01-01

This paper describes the use of insights obtained during the development and application of human reliability analysis (HRA) as part of a probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) to support decision-making, including improvements to operations, training, and safety culture. Insights have been gained from the development and application of HRA as part of a PRA for nuclear power plants in the USA, Europe and Asia over the last two decades. These models consist of Level 1 and Level 2 PRA models of internal and external events, during full power and shutdown modes of plant operation. These insights include the use of human factors information to improve the qualitative portion of the HRA. The subsequent quantification in the HRA effectively prioritises the contributors to the unreliability of operator actions, and the process facilitates the identification of the factors that are important to the success of the operator actions. Additionally, the tools and techniques also allow for the evaluation of key assumptions and sources of uncertainty. The end results have been used to effectively support decision-making for day-to-day plant operations as well as licensing issues. HRA results have been used to provide feedback and improvements to plant procedures, operator training and other areas contributing the plant safety culture. Examples of the types of insights are presented in this paper. (author)

IARC Monographs: 40 Years of Evaluating Carcinogenic Hazards to Humans

Science.gov (United States)

Blair, Aaron; Vineis, Paolo; Ahrens, Wolfgang; Andersen, Aage; Anto, Josep M.; Armstrong, Bruce K.; Baccarelli, Andrea A.; Beland, Frederick A.; Berrington, Amy; Bertazzi, Pier Alberto; Birnbaum, Linda S.; Brownson, Ross C.; Bucher, John R.; Cantor, Kenneth P.; Cardis, Elisabeth; Cherrie, John W.; Christiani, David C.; Cocco, Pierluigi; Coggon, David; Comba, Pietro; Demers, Paul A.; Dement, John M.; Douwes, Jeroen; Eisen, Ellen A.; Engel, Lawrence S.; Fenske, Richard A.; Fleming, Lora E.; Fletcher, Tony; Fontham, Elizabeth; Forastiere, Francesco; Frentzel-Beyme, Rainer; Fritschi, Lin; Gerin, Michel; Goldberg, Marcel; Grandjean, Philippe; Grimsrud, Tom K.; Gustavsson, Per; Haines, Andy; Hartge, Patricia; Hansen, Johnni; Hauptmann, Michael; Heederik, Dick; Hemminki, Kari; Hemon, Denis; Hertz-Picciotto, Irva; Hoppin, Jane A.; Huff, James; Jarvholm, Bengt; Kang, Daehee; Karagas, Margaret R.; Kjaerheim, Kristina; Kjuus, Helge; Kogevinas, Manolis; Kriebel, David; Kristensen, Petter; Kromhout, Hans; Laden, Francine; Lebailly, Pierre; LeMasters, Grace; Lubin, Jay H.; Lynch, Charles F.; Lynge, Elsebeth; ‘t Mannetje, Andrea; McMichael, Anthony J.; McLaughlin, John R.; Marrett, Loraine; Martuzzi, Marco; Merchant, James A.; Merler, Enzo; Merletti, Franco; Miller, Anthony; Mirer, Franklin E.; Monson, Richard; Nordby, Karl-Cristian; Olshan, Andrew F.; Parent, Marie-Elise; Perera, Frederica P.; Perry, Melissa J.; Pesatori, Angela Cecilia; Pirastu, Roberta; Porta, Miquel; Pukkala, Eero; Rice, Carol; Richardson, David B.; Ritter, Leonard; Ritz, Beate; Ronckers, Cecile M.; Rushton, Lesley; Rusiecki, Jennifer A.; Rusyn, Ivan; Samet, Jonathan M.; Sandler, Dale P.; de Sanjose, Silvia; Schernhammer, Eva; Costantini, Adele Seniori; Seixas, Noah; Shy, Carl; Siemiatycki, Jack; Silverman, Debra T.; Simonato, Lorenzo; Smith, Allan H.; Smith, Martyn T.; Spinelli, John J.; Spitz, Margaret R.; Stallones, Lorann; Stayner, Leslie T.; Steenland, Kyle; Stenzel, Mark; Stewart, Bernard W.; Stewart, Patricia A.; Symanski, Elaine; Terracini, Benedetto; Tolbert, Paige E.; Vainio, Harri; Vena, John; Vermeulen, Roel; Victora, Cesar G.; Ward, Elizabeth M.; Weinberg, Clarice R.; Weisenburger, Dennis; Wesseling, Catharina; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Zahm, Shelia Hoar

2015-01-01

Background: Recently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Programme for the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans has been criticized for several of its evaluations, and also for the approach used to perform these evaluations. Some critics have claimed that failures of IARC Working Groups to recognize study weaknesses and biases of Working Group members have led to inappropriate classification of a number of agents as carcinogenic to humans. Objectives: The authors of this Commentary are scientists from various disciplines relevant to the identification and hazard evaluation of human carcinogens. We examined criticisms of the IARC classification process to determine the validity of these concerns. Here, we present the results of that examination, review the history of IARC evaluations, and describe how the IARC evaluations are performed. Discussion: We concluded that these recent criticisms are unconvincing. The procedures employed by IARC to assemble Working Groups of scientists from the various disciplines and the techniques followed to review the literature and perform hazard assessment of various agents provide a balanced evaluation and an appropriate indication of the weight of the evidence. Some disagreement by individual scientists to some evaluations is not evidence of process failure. The review process has been modified over time and will undoubtedly be altered in the future to improve the process. Any process can in theory be improved, and we would support continued review and improvement of the IARC processes. This does not mean, however, that the current procedures are flawed. Conclusions: The IARC Monographs have made, and continue to make, major contributions to the scientific underpinning for societal actions to improve the public’s health. Citation: Pearce N, Blair A, Vineis P, Ahrens W, Andersen A, Anto JM, Armstrong BK, Baccarelli AA, Beland FA, Berrington A, Bertazzi PA, Birnbaum LS, Brownson RC, Bucher JR, Cantor KP

Simplified Human-Robot Interaction: Modeling and Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Balazs Daniel

2013-10-01

Full Text Available In this paper a novel concept of human-robot interaction (HRI modeling is proposed. Including factors like trust in automation, situational awareness, expertise and expectations a new user experience framework is formed for industrial robots. Service Oriented Robot Operation, proposed in a previous paper, creates an abstract level in HRI and it is also included in the framework. This concept is evaluated with exhaustive tests. Results prove that significant improvement in task execution may be achieved and the new system is more usable for operators with less experience with robotics; personnel specific for small and medium enterprises (SMEs.

Human resources evaluation in a marketing organization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gutić Dragutin

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This work is first of all part of authors' initiated thinking in which in a certain way they try to promote the idea and need to accept and develop the concept of human resources management by marketing managers. This work's subject matter deals with human resources evaluation in a marketing organization as an important and certain element of this management. A new approach with critical reference to the present state of theory and practice is explained, new solutions are offered and thorough, almost radical changes and turnarounds are supported. Marketing managers mostly reluctantly accept the evaluation system for their employees. They often say that this is not their basic job, that it unnecessarily and absurdly puts a burden on them, that it takes their time, or they think however that their goal is to increase sales, to extend the existing and enter new markets, to improve the relationship with buyers and consumers etc. Evaluation enables employees to understand clearly what they are expected and how their results will be evaluated. Each member of the organization wants to know and have feedback about his or her work. This assessment of his or her work is a basis for rewarding, job security, career development, promotion in the organization, improvement and professional training etc. Evaluation is not in the least easy and simple work. On the contrary, It is a matter of a very complicated work followed by many difficulties and different restrictions in practice. It is a fact that great part of failure and poor system lies in an approach systematically incomplete and taken for granted. The authors gave a thorough review of basic restrictions and difficulties that should be count on when evaluating the employees. They come from the evaluators themselves (marketing managers, unelaborated evaluation methodology, as well as insufficient and late information as a base for evaluation. Marketing managers efficiency evaluation is focused through

Latent human error analysis and efficient improvement strategies by fuzzy TOPSIS in aviation maintenance tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Ming-Chuan; Hsieh, Min-Chih

2016-05-01

The purposes of this study were to develop a latent human error analysis process, to explore the factors of latent human error in aviation maintenance tasks, and to provide an efficient improvement strategy for addressing those errors. First, we used HFACS and RCA to define the error factors related to aviation maintenance tasks. Fuzzy TOPSIS with four criteria was applied to evaluate the error factors. Results show that 1) adverse physiological states, 2) physical/mental limitations, and 3) coordination, communication, and planning are the factors related to airline maintenance tasks that could be addressed easily and efficiently. This research establishes a new analytic process for investigating latent human error and provides a strategy for analyzing human error using fuzzy TOPSIS. Our analysis process complements shortages in existing methodologies by incorporating improvement efficiency, and it enhances the depth and broadness of human error analysis methodology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Human mortality improvement in evolutionary context

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burger, Oskar; Baudisch, Annette; Vaupel, James W

2012-01-01

Life expectancy is increasing in most countries and has exceeded 80 in several, as low-mortality nations continue to make progress in averting deaths. The health and economic implications of mortality reduction have been given substantial attention, but the observed malleability of human mortality...... about 4 of the roughly 8,000 human generations that have ever lived. Moreover, mortality improvement in humans is on par with or greater than the reductions in mortality in other species achieved by laboratory selection experiments and endocrine pathway mutations. This observed plasticity in age...

Evaluation of Human Prehension Using Grasp Quality Measures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beatriz León

2012-10-01

Full Text Available One of the main features of the human hand is its grasping ability. Robot grasping has been studied for years and different quality measures have been proposed to evaluate the stability and manipulability of grasps. Although the human hand is obviously more complex than robot hands, the methods used in robotics might be adopted to study the human grasp. The purpose of this work is to propose a set of measures that allow the evaluation of different aspects of the human grasp. The most common robotic grasp quality measures have been adapted to the evaluation of the human hand and a new quality measure – the fatigue index – is proposed in order to incorporate the biomechanical aspect into the evaluation. The minimum set of indices that allows the evaluation of the different aspects of the grasp is obtained from the analysis of a human prehension experiment.

Reliability Evaluation and Improvement Approach of Chemical Production Man - Machine - Environment System

Science.gov (United States)

Miao, Yongchun; Kang, Rongxue; Chen, Xuefeng

2017-12-01

In recent years, with the gradual extension of reliability research, the study of production system reliability has become the hot topic in various industries. Man-machine-environment system is a complex system composed of human factors, machinery equipment and environment. The reliability of individual factor must be analyzed in order to gradually transit to the research of three-factor reliability. Meanwhile, the dynamic relationship among man-machine-environment should be considered to establish an effective blurry evaluation mechanism to truly and effectively analyze the reliability of such systems. In this paper, based on the system engineering, fuzzy theory, reliability theory, human error, environmental impact and machinery equipment failure theory, the reliabilities of human factor, machinery equipment and environment of some chemical production system were studied by the method of fuzzy evaluation. At last, the reliability of man-machine-environment system was calculated to obtain the weighted result, which indicated that the reliability value of this chemical production system was 86.29. Through the given evaluation domain it can be seen that the reliability of man-machine-environment integrated system is in a good status, and the effective measures for further improvement were proposed according to the fuzzy calculation results.

Evaluating the Improvement of Sustainability of Sports Industry Policy Based on MADM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuang-Hua Hu

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The influence of globalization on sports has turned out to be a popular issue widely discussed by researchers. Improvement to the sustainability of sports industry policy is an important and challenging issue, and related are inherently multiple attribute decision making (MADM problems that can be strategically important to economic systems. The purpose of this study is to set up a new sustainability sports industry policy evaluation model that addresses the main causal factors and amends the priorities. A MADM model is combined with DEMATEL, DANP, and VIKOR for the evaluation and improvement of the sustainability of sports industry policy. The improvement priorities according to the domain expert interviews are in the following order: promotion and assistance of government policy (A, sports venues and facilities (D, enterprise sponsorship of sports quality (E, expert human resources (B, and finally sports competitions and events (C.

An Evaluation of the Cybersecurity Policies for the United States Health & Human Services Department: Criteria, Regulations, and Improvements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Derek Mohammed

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the criteria necessary for the evaluation of the cybersecurity policies for the United States Health and Human Services Department of the Federal Government. The overall purpose of cybersecurity policies and procedures is supported through compliance with Federal mandated regulation and standards, which serve to protect the organizational services and goals of the United States Health and Human Services Department, and to promote the best possible security practices in the protection of information systems from unauthorized actors and cyber-threats. The criteria of the cybersecurity evaluation is identified and analyzed for quality, strengths, weaknesses, and future applicability. Topics within the criteria include organizational operation, regulations and industrial standards compliance, service delivery to national customers, and the prevention and mitigation of IT system and security failure. This analysis determines the strengths and weaknesses, and makes recommendations for revising the cybersecurity policies within the United States Health and Human Services Department.

Effectively managing nuclear risk through human performance improvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coe, R.P.

2004-01-01

is to apply the principles of Human Performance Technology, or HPT, to the nuclear workplace. HPT is a relatively new field that has been emerging over the several decades. Its principles are derived from the research and practice of behavioral and cognitive psychologist, instructional technologists training designers, organizational developers and various human resource specialists. Relying heavily on general systems theory as applied to organizations, HPT takes a systemic approach to risk assessment and performance analysis/ change as opposed to making piecemeal interventions which often happens in designing training programs intended to be the only fix specific organizational behavior problems in the short term. Specifically, HPT methodology emphasizes examining any given problem in relation to the more global aims of the setting or environment within which the problem is identified. Its consistent driver is measurable performance and the structuring of elements within the system to improve and reward desirable performance and effective risk management. In general, HPT is more than another way to look at training, HPT is a systemized process that combines selection, analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation of programs to most cost effectively influence human behavior and accomplishment. By taking a systems view of organizations rather than discreetly focusing on pockets of concern within an organization, it seeks to link the actions and interventions of all the organizational elements that affect overall performance. It does this through identifying, among other things, current performance levels, required performance levels for effective risk management, exemplary performance, and developing measurements for each step in the process. It examines such things as the external and organizational environments as well as the influences that directly impact individual performance. Direct application to the nuclear industry is evident when

Prioritizing Improvable Human Capital Processes in Esfahan Oil Refinery Company Based on PCF and by IPA approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reza Behmanesh

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Development and management of human capital is an important task because it affects the performance of organization and hence the process improvements. However, it is necessary to deploy performance evaluation to prioritize improvable processes due to limited human resource, time and equipments. The objective of this research is to evaluate performance of the developed and managed human capital based upon the predetermined key performance indicators of American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC and to prioritize processes by Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA approach. As a case study, Esfahan Oil Refining Company (EORC has been studied. In order to analyze hypotheses, the state of human resource has been determined through data extracting among the best practice industries, and hence the strengths and weaknesses of the EORC have been identified. Finally, fuzzy numbers have been assigned to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs and then the processes have been measured using the average value of its related KPIs. Consequently, the importance of the developed and managed human capital processes could be determined using the five points Likert spectrum. The reliability of the questionnaire has been determined by the Cronbach's Alpha of higher than 0.7, which is satisfactory. Findings imply that 10 out of 35 HCM processes in needs of improvement are prioritized as managing employee performance managing employee relations managing employee orientation and deployment developing and managing employee metrics developing and training employees managing employee communication managing human resource information systems (HRIS managing and maintaining employee data managing employee inquiry process and developing and managing time and attendance.

Converging Technologies for Improving Human Performance: Integrating From the Nanoscale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roco, M.C.; Bainbridge, W.S.

2002-01-01

In the early decades of the twenty-first century, concentrated efforts can unify science based on the unity of nature, thereby advancing the combination of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and new humane technologies based in cognitive science. Converging technologies integrated from the nanoscale could determine a tremendous improvement in human abilities and societal outcomes. This is a broad, cross cutting, emerging, and timely opportunity of interest to individuals, society, and humanity in the long term.About eighty scientific leaders, industry experts, and policy makers across a range of fields have contributed to develop a vision for the potential to improve human physical, mental, and social capabilities through the convergence of the four technologies. Six major themes have emerged: (a) The broad potential of converging technologies; (b) Expanding human cognition and communication; (c) Improving human health and physical capabilities; (d) Enhancing group and societal outcomes; (e) National security, and (f) Unifying science and education. This article summarizes the observations, conclusions, and recommendations made in the report (Roco and Bainbridge, eds., 2002. Converging Technologies for Improving Human Performance, NSF-DOC Report, June 2002, Arlington VA, USA)

Implications of Continuous Quality Improvement for Program Evaluation and Evaluators.

Science.gov (United States)

Mark, Melvin M.; Pines, Edward

1995-01-01

Explores the implications that continuous quality improvement (CQI) programs are likely to have for evaluation. CQI, often known as total quality management, offers a structured approach to the analysis of an organization's processes and improvement that should provide advantages to evaluators once they have gained experience with the approach.…

Improving human object recognition performance using video enhancement techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Whitman, Lucy S.; Lewis, Colin; Oakley, John P.

2004-12-01

Atmospheric scattering causes significant degradation in the quality of video images, particularly when imaging over long distances. The principle problem is the reduction in contrast due to scattered light. It is known that when the scattering particles are not too large compared with the imaging wavelength (i.e. Mie scattering) then high spatial resolution information may be contained within a low-contrast image. Unfortunately this information is not easily perceived by a human observer, particularly when using a standard video monitor. A secondary problem is the difficulty of achieving a sharp focus since automatic focus techniques tend to fail in such conditions. Recently several commercial colour video processing systems have become available. These systems use various techniques to improve image quality in low contrast conditions whilst retaining colour content. These systems produce improvements in subjective image quality in some situations, particularly in conditions of haze and light fog. There is also some evidence that video enhancement leads to improved ATR performance when used as a pre-processing stage. Psychological literature indicates that low contrast levels generally lead to a reduction in the performance of human observers in carrying out simple visual tasks. The aim of this paper is to present the results of an empirical study on object recognition in adverse viewing conditions. The chosen visual task was vehicle number plate recognition at long ranges (500 m and beyond). Two different commercial video enhancement systems are evaluated using the same protocol. The results show an increase in effective range with some differences between the different enhancement systems.

Human factors evaluation of teletherapy: Human-system interfaces and procedures. Volume 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaye, R.D.; Henriksen, K.; Jones, R.; Morisseau, D.S.; Serig, D.I.

1995-07-01

A series of human factors evaluations was undertaken to better understand the contributing factors to human error in the teletherapy environment. Teletherapy is a multidisciplinary methodology for treating cancerous tissue through selective exposure to an external beam of ionizing radiation. The principal sources of radiation are a radioactive isotope, typically cobalt60 (Co-60), or a linear accelerator device capable of producing very high energy x-ray and electron beams. A team of human factors specialists conducted site visits to radiation oncology departments at community hospitals, university centers, and free-standing clinics. In addition, a panel of radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiation technologists served as subject matter experts. A function and task analysis was initially performed to guide subsequent evaluations in the areas of user-system interfaces, procedures, training and qualifications, and organizational policies and practices. The present report focuses on an evaluation of the human-system interfaces in relation to the treatment machines and supporting equipment (e.g., simulators, treatment planning computers, control consoles, patient charts) found in the teletherapy environment. The report also evaluates operating, maintenance and emergency procedures and practices involved in teletherapy. The evaluations are based on the function and task analysis and established human engineering guidelines, where applicable

Human factors evaluation of teletherapy: Human-system interfaces and procedures. Volume 3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaye, R.D.; Henriksen, K.; Jones, R. [Hughes Training, Inc., Falls Church, VA (United States); Morisseau, D.S.; Serig, D.I. [Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States). Div. of Systems Technology

1995-07-01

A series of human factors evaluations was undertaken to better understand the contributing factors to human error in the teletherapy environment. Teletherapy is a multidisciplinary methodology for treating cancerous tissue through selective exposure to an external beam of ionizing radiation. The principal sources of radiation are a radioactive isotope, typically cobalt60 (Co-60), or a linear accelerator device capable of producing very high energy x-ray and electron beams. A team of human factors specialists conducted site visits to radiation oncology departments at community hospitals, university centers, and free-standing clinics. In addition, a panel of radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiation technologists served as subject matter experts. A function and task analysis was initially performed to guide subsequent evaluations in the areas of user-system interfaces, procedures, training and qualifications, and organizational policies and practices. The present report focuses on an evaluation of the human-system interfaces in relation to the treatment machines and supporting equipment (e.g., simulators, treatment planning computers, control consoles, patient charts) found in the teletherapy environment. The report also evaluates operating, maintenance and emergency procedures and practices involved in teletherapy. The evaluations are based on the function and task analysis and established human engineering guidelines, where applicable.

An Evaluation of the Cybersecurity Policies for the United States Health & Human Services Department: Criteria, Regulations, and Improvements

OpenAIRE

Derek Mohammed; Ronda Mariani

2014-01-01

This paper examines the criteria necessary for the evaluation of the cybersecurity policies for the United States Health and Human Services Department of the Federal Government. The overall purpose of cybersecurity policies and procedures is supported through compliance with Federal mandated regulation and standards, which serve to protect the organizational services and goals of the United States Health and Human Services Department, and to promote the best possible security practices in the...

Integrating empowerment evaluation and quality improvement to achieve healthcare improvement outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Wandersman, Abraham; Alia, Kassandra Ann; Cook, Brittany; Ramaswamy, Rohit

2015-01-01

While the body of evidence-based healthcare interventions grows, the ability of health systems to deliver these interventions effectively and efficiently lags behind. Quality improvement approaches, such as the model for improvement, have demonstrated some success in healthcare but their impact has been lessened by implementation challenges. To help address these challenges, we describe the empowerment evaluation approach that has been developed by programme evaluators and a method for its application (Getting To Outcomes (GTO)). We then describe how GTO can be used to implement healthcare interventions. An illustrative healthcare quality improvement example that compares the model for improvement and the GTO method for reducing hospital admissions through improved diabetes care is described. We conclude with suggestions for integrating GTO and the model for improvement. PMID:26178332

Leadership for health improvement--implementation and evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Carr, Susan M; Carr, Sue; Lhussier, Monique; Reynolds, Joanna; Hunter, David J; Hannaway, Catherine

2009-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present a co-authored reflection on the health improvement leadership development programme and the key evaluation messages derived from piloting in an English National Health Service region. It highlights the specific attributes of this approach to health improvement leadership development and clarifies health improvement development issues. Appreciative inquiry and soft systems methodology are combined in an evaluation approach designed to capture individual as well as organisation learning and how it impacts on leadership in specific contexts. The evaluation exposes the health improvement leadership needs of a multi-organisation cohort, offers some explanations for successful achievement of learning needs while also exposing of the challenges and paradoxes faced in this endeavour. There are limited reported templates of how to develop leadership for health improvement. This paper details a whole systems approach, acknowledging the impact of context on leadership and an approach to evaluating such complex initiatives.

Using a systems orientation and foundational theory to enhance theory-driven human service program evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Wasserman, Deborah L

2010-05-01

This paper offers a framework for using a systems orientation and "foundational theory" to enhance theory-driven evaluations and logic models. The framework guides the process of identifying and explaining operative relationships and perspectives within human service program systems. Self-Determination Theory exemplifies how a foundational theory can be used to support the framework in a wide range of program evaluations. Two examples illustrate how applications of the framework have improved the evaluators' abilities to observe and explain program effect. In both exemplars improvements involved addressing and organizing into a single logic model heretofore seemingly disparate evaluation issues regarding valuing (by whose values); the role of organizational and program context; and evaluation anxiety and utilization. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated planning target volume generation: an evaluation pitting a computer-based tool against human experts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ketting, Case H.; Austin-Seymour, Mary; Kalet, Ira; Jacky, Jon; Kromhout-Schiro, Sharon; Hummel, Sharon; Unger, Jonathan; Fagan, Lawrence M.; Griffin, Tom

1997-01-01

Purpose: Software tools are seeing increased use in three-dimensional treatment planning. However, the development of these tools frequently omits careful evaluation before placing them in clinical use. This study demonstrates the application of a rigorous evaluation methodology using blinded peer review to an automated software tool that produces ICRU-50 planning target volumes (PTVs). Methods and Materials: Seven physicians from three different institutions involved in three-dimensional treatment planning participated in the evaluation. Four physicians drew partial PTVs on nine test cases, consisting of four nasopharynx and five lung primaries. Using the same information provided to the human experts, the computer tool generated PTVs for comparison. The remaining three physicians, designated evaluators, individually reviewed the PTVs for acceptability. To exclude bias, the evaluators were blinded to the source (human or computer) of the PTVs they reviewed. Their scorings of the PTVs were statistically examined to determine if the computer tool performed as well as the human experts. Results: The computer tool was as successful as the human experts in generating PTVs. Failures were primarily attributable to insufficient margins around the clinical target volume and to encroachment upon critical structures. In a qualitative analysis, the human and computer experts displayed similar types and distributions of errors. Conclusions: Rigorous evaluation of computer-based radiotherapy tools requires comparison to current practice and can reveal areas for improvement before the tool enters clinical practice

Conceptual modelling of human resource evaluation process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Negoiţă Doina Olivia

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Taking into account the highly diverse tasks which employees have to fulfil due to complex requirements of nowadays consumers, the human resource within an enterprise has become a strategic element for developing and exploiting products which meet the market expectations. Therefore, organizations encounter difficulties when approaching the human resource evaluation process. Hence, the aim of the current paper is to design a conceptual model of the aforementioned process, which allows the enterprises to develop a specific methodology. In order to design the conceptual model, Business Process Modelling instruments were employed - Adonis Community Edition Business Process Management Toolkit using the ADONIS BPMS Notation. The conceptual model was developed based on an in-depth secondary research regarding the human resource evaluation process. The proposed conceptual model represents a generic workflow (sequential and/ or simultaneously activities, which can be extended considering the enterprise’s needs regarding their requirements when conducting a human resource evaluation process. Enterprises can benefit from using software instruments for business process modelling as they enable process analysis and evaluation (predefined / specific queries and also model optimization (simulations.

Terroir as a Concept to Improve Human Health

Science.gov (United States)

Brevik, Eric C.; Steffan, Joshua J.; Burgess, Lynn C.; Cerdà, Artemi; Pereg, Lily

2017-04-01

Soil is important to human health because of the ability of healthy soils to supply nutrients through food products, medications derived from soil, its ability to clean water, and for many other positive reasons. On the other hand, degraded soils can have negative impacts on human health through processes such as dust generation and by acting as a point of human contact with heavy metals, organic chemicals, and pathogens. Despite the definite links between soil and human health, it is likely that most people don't think about soil when considering human health issues. In fact, there appears to be a disconnect between most people in our modern society and soil, and when people do notice soil it often seems to be in a negative context, leading to terms such as "soiled", "dirty", "dirt poor", etc. People pay attention to and care for things that matter to them, and creating a more positive public image of soil has the possibility of improving human health by leading to careful and caring treatment of the soil resource. The concept of terroir is a good example of a setting within which soils have a more positive image. While terroir originally established a connection between those who love wine and the soils that produce those wines, the concept has been expanded to many additional products such as cacao, cheese, coffee, fruits, olive oil, and vegetables. If the terroir concept could be expanded to include additional products that are important to people and expanded into parts of the world where it is not currently well known, that may provide an increased positive perception of soil, and thereby indirectly improve human health. It may even be possible to provide a terroir link to direct health benefits, such as medications derived from a given soil environment, and therefore provide a very focused emphasis on soil and human health issues. Therefore, we advocate a concerted effort to expand the terroir concept as a means to improve overall human health.

Integrating utilization-focused evaluation with business process modeling for clinical research improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Kagan, Jonathan M; Rosas, Scott; Trochim, William M K

2010-10-01

New discoveries in basic science are creating extraordinary opportunities to design novel biomedical preventions and therapeutics for human disease. But the clinical evaluation of these new interventions is, in many instances, being hindered by a variety of legal, regulatory, policy and operational factors, few of which enhance research quality, the safety of study participants or research ethics. With the goal of helping increase the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical research, we have examined how the integration of utilization-focused evaluation with elements of business process modeling can reveal opportunities for systematic improvements in clinical research. Using data from the NIH global HIV/AIDS clinical trials networks, we analyzed the absolute and relative times required to traverse defined phases associated with specific activities within the clinical protocol lifecycle. Using simple median duration and Kaplan-Meyer survival analysis, we show how such time-based analyses can provide a rationale for the prioritization of research process analysis and re-engineering, as well as a means for statistically assessing the impact of policy modifications, resource utilization, re-engineered processes and best practices. Successfully applied, this approach can help researchers be more efficient in capitalizing on new science to speed the development of improved interventions for human disease.

Practical recommendations for the evaluation of improvement initiatives

Science.gov (United States)

Parry, Gareth; Coly, Astou; Goldmann, Don; Rowe, Alexander K; Chattu, Vijay; Logiudice, Deneil; Rabrenovic, Mihajlo; Nambiar, Bejoy

2018-01-01

Abstract A lack of clear guidance for funders, evaluators and improvers on what to include in evaluation proposals can lead to evaluation designs that do not answer the questions stakeholders want to know. These evaluation designs may not match the iterative nature of improvement and may be imposed onto an initiative in a way that is impractical from the perspective of improvers and the communities with whom they work. Consequently, the results of evaluations are often controversial, and attribution remains poorly understood. Improvement initiatives are iterative, adaptive and context-specific. Evaluation approaches and designs must align with these features, specifically in their ability to consider complexity, to evolve as the initiative adapts over time and to understand the interaction with local context. Improvement initiatives often identify broadly defined change concepts and provide tools for care teams to tailor these in more detail to local conditions. Correspondingly, recommendations for evaluation are best provided as broad guidance, to be tailored to the specifics of the initiative. In this paper, we provide practical guidance and recommendations that funders and evaluators can use when developing an evaluation plan for improvement initiatives that seeks to: identify the questions stakeholders want to address; develop the initial program theory of the initiative; identify high-priority areas to measure progress over time; describe the context the initiative will be applied within; and identify experimental or observational designs that will address attribution. PMID:29447410

Application of human engineering to design of central control room and evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tani, Mamoru

1986-01-01

The central control room of a nuclear power station is the center of the operation control, monitoring and management of the plant, therefore, the design by the application of human engineering has been performed on the basis of the experience and achievement in thermal power stations and other industries. In this report, the application of human engineering to the development of the new control boards for PWRs and the evaluation are described. In a nuclear power station, the number of the machinery and equipment composing it is large, and the interrelation among them is complex, accordingly, in the information processing system for operation monitoring and control, the man-machine interface works with high density. The concept of multiple protection design requires to show numerous plant parameters on a central control board, and this also complicates the man-machine interface. The introduction of human engineering was seriously studied after the TMI accident. In order to increase the safety and reliability of a plant, the new central control and monitoring system aims at facilitating operation and monitoring, and lightening burden and preventing mistakes in handling and judgement. The operational sequence diagram and mock-up varification, the application of human engineering and the evaluation, the synthetic real-time verification at the time of abnormality and accident, and the evaluation of the reliability improvement of men are reported. (Kako, I.)

Evaluating human resource interventions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joha Louw-Potgieter

2012-07-01

Research purpose: The purpose of this special edition is to introduce readers to the evaluation of human resource (HR programmes. Motivation for the study: There are few comprehensive evaluations of HR programmes despite many publications on functional efficiency measures of HR (i.e. measures of cost, time, quantity, error and quality. Research design, approach and method: This article provides a value chain for HR activities and introduces the reader to programme theory-driven evaluation. Main findings: In summarising all of the contributions in this edition, one of the main findings was the lack of programme evaluation experience within HR functions and the difficulty this posed for the evaluators. Practical/managerial implications: This introductory article presents answers to two simple questions: What does HR do? and, What is programme evaluation? These answers will enable practitioners to understand what programme evaluators mean when we say that programme evaluation seeks to determine the merit of a programme. Contribution/value-add: The main contribution of this introductory article is to set the scene for the HR evaluations that follow. It alerts the reader to the rich theory contribution in HR literature and how to apply this in a theory-driven evaluation.

Human Reliability Data Bank: evaluation results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Comer, M.K.; Donovan, M.D.; Gaddy, C.D.

1985-01-01

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and General Physics Corporation are conducting a research program to determine the practicality, acceptability, and usefulness of a Human Reliability Data Bank for nuclear power industry probabilistic risk assessment (PRA). As part of this program, a survey was conducted of existing human reliability data banks from other industries, and a detailed concept of a Data Bank for the nuclear industry was developed. Subsequently, a detailed specification for implementing the Data Bank was developed. An evaluation of this specification was conducted and is described in this report. The evaluation tested data treatment, storage, and retrieval using the Data Bank structure, as modified from NUREG/CR-2744, and detailed procedures for data processing and retrieval, developed prior to this evaluation and documented in the test specification. The evaluation consisted of an Operability Demonstration and Evaluation of the data processing procedures, a Data Retrieval Demonstration and Evaluation, a Retrospective Analysis that included a survey of organizations currently operating data banks for the nuclear power industry, and an Internal Analysis of the current Data Bank System

Access to justice: evaluating law, health and human rights programmes in Kenya.

Science.gov (United States)

Gruskin, Sofia; Safreed-Harmon, Kelly; Ezer, Tamar; Gathumbi, Anne; Cohen, Jonathan; Kameri-Mbote, Patricia

2013-11-13

In Kenya, human rights violations have a marked impact on the health of people living with HIV. Integrating legal literacy and legal services into healthcare appears to be an effective strategy to empower vulnerable groups and address underlying determinants of health. We carried out an evaluation to collect evidence about the impact of legal empowerment programmes on health and human rights. The evaluation focused on Open Society Foundation-supported legal integration activities at four sites: the Academic Model of Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) facility, where the Legal Aid Centre of Eldoret (LACE) operates, in Eldoret; Kenyatta National Hospital's Gender-based Violence Recovery Centre, which hosts the COVAW legal integration program; and Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK) facilities in Mombasa and Naivasha. In consultation with the organizations implementing the programs, we designed a conceptual logic model grounded in human rights principles, identified relevant indicators and then coded structure, process and outcome indicators for the rights-related principles they reflect. The evaluation included a resource assessment questionnaire, a review of program records and routine data, and semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with clients and service providers. Data were collected in May-August 2010 and April-June 2011. Clients showed a notable increase in practical knowledge and awareness about how to access legal aid and claim their rights, as well as an enhanced ability to communicate with healthcare providers and to improve their access to healthcare and justice. In turn, providers became more adept at identifying human rights violations and other legal difficulties, which enabled them to give clients basic information about their rights, refer them to legal aid and assist them in accessing needed support. Methodological challenges in evaluating such activities point to the need to strengthen rights-oriented evaluation

Evaluating Models of Human Performance: Safety-Critical Systems Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Feary, Michael S.

2012-01-01

This presentation is part of panel discussion on Evaluating Models of Human Performance. The purpose of this panel is to discuss the increasing use of models in the world today and specifically focus on how to describe and evaluate models of human performance. My presentation will focus on discussions of generating distributions of performance, and the evaluation of different strategies for humans performing tasks with mixed initiative (Human-Automation) systems. I will also discuss issues with how to provide Human Performance modeling data to support decisions on acceptability and tradeoffs in the design of safety critical systems. I will conclude with challenges for the future.

Improved extraction procedure for carotenoids from human milk.

Science.gov (United States)

Schweigert, F J; Hurtienne, A; Bathe, K

2000-05-01

An improved method for the extraction of the major carotenoids from human milk is described. Carotenoids were extracted from milk first with ethanol and n-hexane. Then, polar xanthophylls were extracted from n-hexane into ethanol/water. The remaining n-hexane was evaporated, the residue combined with the ethanolic milk fraction and the mixture briefly saponified. Carotenoids were extracted from the hydrolysate with n-hexane, combined with the polar xanthophylls from the non-saponified ethanol/water-extract and separated by HPLC. Using this method we were able to significantly improve the recovery of xanthophylls such as lutein and zeaxanthin from human milk. The recovery rate of all carotenoids was > 90%. This method might not only be of value for milk but should be especially useful in the extraction of carotenoids from human tissues such as the adipose tissue.

Fiscal 1999 technological survey report. Part 1. Applied technology for measuring human sense (Human sense measuring manual - human sense evaluation index guideline); Ningen kankaku keisoku manual. 1. Ningen kankaku hyoka shihyo guide line

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-03-01

A method of measuring/evaluating a mental and physical state by means of physiological information developed by a project was compiled into a 'guide book', as was a method of evaluating adaptability to the environment or products; and, this manual was prepared for the purpose of improving the adaptability of human beings to products by making use of the guide book widely in the field of industrial manufacturing. Described in the part 1 are a method of evaluating human mind and body by the measurement of physiological quantity, a method of evaluating mental and physical adaptability from the element of environmental physics such as vision, sound and warmth, and a method of evaluating adaptability concerning utilization of machines and equipment, as 'human sense evaluation indexes'. The chapter 1 is the index of physiological/psychological state (stress evaluation index, fatigue/awakening evaluation index), the chapter 2 is an environmental/psychological index (overall environmental evaluation index, visual environmental effect index, sound/vibration environmental evaluation index, thermal environmental evaluation index), the chapter 3 is an adaptability evaluation index of products and the like (adaptability evaluation index by form and movement, evaluation index for operability of equipment for example), and the chapter 4 is the guideline (of environmental design and of product design). (NEDO)

Advancing Usability Evaluation through Human Reliability Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ronald L. Boring; David I. Gertman

2005-01-01

This paper introduces a novel augmentation to the current heuristic usability evaluation methodology. The SPAR-H human reliability analysis method was developed for categorizing human performance in nuclear power plants. Despite the specialized use of SPAR-H for safety critical scenarios, the method also holds promise for use in commercial off-the-shelf software usability evaluations. The SPAR-H method shares task analysis underpinnings with human-computer interaction, and it can be easily adapted to incorporate usability heuristics as performance shaping factors. By assigning probabilistic modifiers to heuristics, it is possible to arrive at the usability error probability (UEP). This UEP is not a literal probability of error but nonetheless provides a quantitative basis to heuristic evaluation. When combined with a consequence matrix for usability errors, this method affords ready prioritization of usability issues

The development of human factors experimental evaluation techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sim, Bong Shick; Oh, In Suk; Cha, Kyung Ho; Lee, Hyun Chul; Park, Geun Ok; Cheon, Se Woo; Suh, Sang Moon

1997-07-01

New human factors issues, such as evaluation of information navigation, the consideration of operator characteristics, and operator performance assessment, related to the HMI design based on VDUs are being risen. Thus, in order to solve these human factors issues, this project aims to establish the experimental technologies including the techniques for experimental design, experimental measurement, data collection and analysis, and to develop ITF (Integrated Test Facility) suitable for the experiment of HMI design evaluation. For the establish of the experimental data analysis and evaluation methodologies, we developed as the following: (1) a paradigm for human factors experimentation including experimental designs, procedures, and data analysis. (2) the methods for the assessment of operator`s mental workload (3) DAEXESS (data analysis and experiment evaluation supporting system). Also, we have established a experiment execution technologies through the preliminary experiments, such as the suitability evaluation of information display on a LSDP, the evaluation of information display on a LSDP, the evaluation of computerized operation procedure and an experiment of advanced alarm system (ADIOS). Finally, we developed the ITF including human machine simulator, telemetry system, an eye tracking system, an audio/video data measurement system, and three dimensional micro behaviour analysis system. (author). 81 refs., 68 tabs., 73 figs.

Integrating empowerment evaluation and quality improvement to achieve healthcare improvement outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wandersman, Abraham; Alia, Kassandra Ann; Cook, Brittany; Ramaswamy, Rohit

2015-10-01

While the body of evidence-based healthcare interventions grows, the ability of health systems to deliver these interventions effectively and efficiently lags behind. Quality improvement approaches, such as the model for improvement, have demonstrated some success in healthcare but their impact has been lessened by implementation challenges. To help address these challenges, we describe the empowerment evaluation approach that has been developed by programme evaluators and a method for its application (Getting To Outcomes (GTO)). We then describe how GTO can be used to implement healthcare interventions. An illustrative healthcare quality improvement example that compares the model for improvement and the GTO method for reducing hospital admissions through improved diabetes care is described. We conclude with suggestions for integrating GTO and the model for improvement. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Effect of oxygen concentration on human embryo development evaluated by time-lapse monitoring

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ingerslev, Hans Jakob; Hindkjær, Johnny Juhl; Kirkegaard, Kirstine

2012-01-01

-points for each cell division and blastocyst stages were registered until 120 hours after oocyte retrieval. Only 2PN embryos completing the first cleavage were evaluated. The groups were compared using one-way ANOVA or Kruskall-Wallis test. Estimates are reported as medians with 95% confidence intervals. Time......Introduction: Data from a number of studies indicate -but not unequivocally- that culture of embryos in 5% O2 compared to 20% O2 improves blastocyst formation in humans and various animal species and may yield better pregnancy rates in IVF. The detrimental effects of atmospheric oxygen were...... was to evaluate the influence of oxygen tension on human pre-implantation development using time-lapse monitoring. Materials and methods: Human embryos were cultured to the blastocyst stage in a time-lapse incubator (EmbryoScope™) in 20% O2 (group 1), 20% O2 for 24 hours followed by culture in 5% O2 (group 2...

A human reliability based usability evaluation method for safety-critical software

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boring, R. L.; Tran, T. Q.; Gertman, D. I.; Ragsdale, A.

2006-01-01

Boring and Gertman (2005) introduced a novel method that augments heuristic usability evaluation methods with that of the human reliability analysis method of SPAR-H. By assigning probabilistic modifiers to individual heuristics, it is possible to arrive at the usability error probability (UEP). Although this UEP is not a literal probability of error, it nonetheless provides a quantitative basis to heuristic evaluation. This method allows one to seamlessly prioritize and identify usability issues (i.e., a higher UEP requires more immediate fixes). However, the original version of this method required the usability evaluator to assign priority weights to the final UEP, thus allowing the priority of a usability issue to differ among usability evaluators. The purpose of this paper is to explore an alternative approach to standardize the priority weighting of the UEP in an effort to improve the method's reliability. (authors)

Human Resource Evaluation in Hotel Units

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George Aspridis

2012-03-01

Full Text Available This paper aims at presenting and analysing the performance appraisalsystems and the human potential development in hotelunits. It aims at integrating and updating many aspects of performanceappraisal while concentrating on the hotel units systemto prove the importance of human resource evaluation in hotelunits and the procedure that is to be followed by the enterprisefor further development of hotel employees. HR evaluation analysisis presented through relevant theoretical background on theevaluation method and the presentation of the practical problematicalissues in order to create an image for a whole evaluationsystem of HR in Greek hotel enterprises.

The improving processes in the human resources management

OpenAIRE

Darja Holátová

2002-01-01

The quality management of the human resources management, the quality of the products, services and prosperities of the firms is among others dependent on the quality management. Managers convey a leadership and commitment necessary for creating the environment for quality improvement. The managers are responsible for their own actions, development and improvement of their own work processes.

Does supplier evaluation impact process improvement?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shiva Prasad h c

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The research explores and examines factors for supplier evaluation and its impact on process improvement particularly aiming on a steel pipe manufacturing firm in Gujarat, India. Design/Methodology/approach: The conceptual research framework was developed and hypotheses were stated considering the analysis of literature and discussions with the managers and engineers of a steel pipe manufacturing company in Gujarat, India. Data was collected using in-depth interview. The questionnaire primarily involves the perception of evaluation of supplier. Factors influencing supplier evaluation and its influence on process improvement is also examined in this study. The model testing and validation was done using partial least square method. Outcomes signified that the factors that influence evaluation of the supplier are quality, cost, delivery and supplier relationship management. Findings: The study depicted that quality and cost factors for supplier evaluation are insignificant. The delivery and supplier relationship management have significant influence on evaluation of the supplier. The research also depicted that supplier evaluation has significant influence on process improvement. Research limitations/implications: The study has been made specifically for ABC steel pipe manufacturing industry in Gujarat, India and may not be appropriate to the other industries or any parts of the world. There is a possibility of response bias as the conclusions of this research was interpreted on survey responses taken from the employees of case study company, so it is suggested that future research can overcome this problem by employing various methodologies in addition to surveys like carrying out focus group and in-depth interviews, brainstorming sessions with the experts etc. Originality/value: Many researchers have considered quality, cost and delivery as the factors for evaluating the suppliers. But for a company it is quintessential to have good

Reduced malonyl-CoA content in recovery from exercise correlates with improved insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in human skeletal muscle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frøsig, Christian; Roepstorff, Carsten; Brandt, Nina

2009-01-01

This study evaluated whether improved insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in recovery from acute exercise coincides with reduced malonyl-CoA (MCoA) content in human muscle. Furthermore, we investigated whether a high-fat diet [65 energy-% (Fat)] would alter the content of MCoA and insulin action...... to be compromised, although to a minor extent, by the Fat diet. Collectively, this study indicates that reduced muscle MCoA content in recovery from exercise may be part of the adaptive response leading to improved insulin action on glucose uptake after exercise in human muscle....

The development of human factors technologies -The development of human factors experimental evaluation techniques-

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shim, Bong Sik; Oh, In Suk; Cha, Kyung Hoh; Lee, Hyun Chul

1995-07-01

In this year, we studied the followings: 1) Development of operator mental workload evaluation techniques, 2) Development of a prototype for preliminary human factors experiment, 3) Suitability test of information display on a large scale display panel, 4) Development of guidelines for VDU-based control room design, 5) Development of integrated test facility (ITF). 6) Establishment of an eye tracking system, and we got the following results: 1) Mental workload evaluation techniques for MMI evaluation, 2) PROTOPEX (PROTOtype for preliminary human factors experiment) for preliminary human factors experiments, 3) Usage methods of APTEA (Analysis-Prototyping-Training-Experiment-Analysis) experiment design, 4) Design guidelines for human factors verification, 5) Detail design requirements and development plan of ITF, 6) Eye movement measurement system. 38 figs, 20 tabs, 54 refs. (Author)

Virginia power's human performance evaluation system (HPES)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patterson, W.E.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on the Human Performance Evaluation System (HPES) which was initially developed by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) using the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) as a guide. After a pilot program involving three utilities ended in 1983, the present day program was instituted. A methodology was developed, for specific application to nuclear power plant employees, to aid trained coordinators/evaluators in determining those factors that exert a negative influence on human behavior in the nuclear power plant environment. HPES is for anyone and everyone on site, from contractors to plant staff to plant management. No one is excluded from participation. Virginia Power's HPES program goal is to identify and correct the root causes of human performance problems. Evaluations are performed on reported real or perceived conditions that may have an adverse influence on members of the nuclear team. A report is provided to management identifying root cause and contributing factors along with recommended corrective actions

Evaluating and Improving Online Intelligence Courses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dr. Alexandra Luce

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Civilian, military and government institutions offer a wide range of courses on intelligence and are increasingly doing so online. While evaluation and improvement are critical to ensuring quality training and education, there is little research about how to evaluate and improve online intelligence courses. Based on the author’s experience developing and teaching such courses, this article offers four suggestions to those involved in online intelligence training and education: (1 conduct a key assumptions check; (2 ensure the course presentation embodies the principles of intelligence communication; (3 encourage creative freedom; and (4 build in mechanisms for feedback throughout the course.

HMM Adaptation for Improving a Human Activity Recognition System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rubén San-Segundo

2016-09-01

Full Text Available When developing a fully automatic system for evaluating motor activities performed by a person, it is necessary to segment and recognize the different activities in order to focus the analysis. This process must be carried out by a Human Activity Recognition (HAR system. This paper proposes a user adaptation technique for improving a HAR system based on Hidden Markov Models (HMMs. This system segments and recognizes six different physical activities (walking, walking upstairs, walking downstairs, sitting, standing and lying down using inertial signals from a smartphone. The system is composed of a feature extractor for obtaining the most relevant characteristics from the inertial signals, a module for training the six HMMs (one per activity, and the last module for segmenting new activity sequences using these models. The user adaptation technique consists of a Maximum A Posteriori (MAP approach that adapts the activity HMMs to the user, using some activity examples from this specific user. The main results on a public dataset have reported a significant relative error rate reduction of more than 30%. In conclusion, adapting a HAR system to the user who is performing the physical activities provides significant improvement in the system’s performance.

Haptic Human-Human Interaction Through a Compliant Connection Does Not Improve Motor Learning in a Force Field

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beckers, Niek; Keemink, Arvid; van Asseldonk, Edwin; van der Kooij, Herman; Prattichizzo, Domenico; Shinoda, Hiroyuki; Tan, Hong Z.; Ruffaldi, Emanuele; Frisoli, Antonio

2018-01-01

Humans have a natural ability to haptically interact with other humans, for instance during physically assisting a child to learn how to ride a bicycle. A recent study has shown that haptic human-human interaction can improve individual motor performance and motor learning rate while learning to

Clonality evaluation in human tissues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Villamizar-Rivera, Nicolás

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Malignant proliferations are usually clonal. While most times the biological potential can be established through routine pathologic and clinical examinations, some cases are difficult to classify. Moreover, in some situations there are dominant clones whose analysis is important, such as in autoimmune diseases and immunodeficiency. This paper presents in an understandable way the main techniques for the study of clonality, namely: evaluation of gene rearrangements of antigen receptor, and evaluation of human antigen receptor gene.

Iranian staff nurses' views of their productivity and human resource factors improving and impeding it: a qualitative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salsali Mahvash

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Nurses, as the largest human resource element of health care systems, have a major role in providing ongoing, high-quality care to patients. Productivity is a significant indicator of professional development within any professional group, including nurses. The human resource element has been identified as the most important factor affecting productivity. This research aimed to explore nurses' perceptions and experiences of productivity and human resource factors improving or impeding it. Method A qualitative approach was used to obtain rich data; open, semi-structured interviews were also conducted. The sampling was based on the maximum variant approach; data analysis was carried out by content analysis, with the constant comparative method. Results Participants indicated that human resources issues are the most important factor in promoting or impeding their productivity. They suggested that the factors influencing effectiveness of human resource elements include: systematic evaluation of staff numbers; a sound selection process based on verifiable criteria; provision of an adequate staffing level throughout the year; full involvement of the ward sister in the process of admitting patients; and sound communication within the care team. Paying attention to these factors creates a suitable background for improved productivity and decreases negative impacts of human resource shortages, whereas ignoring or interfering with them would result in lowering of nurses' productivity. Conclusion Participants maintained that satisfactory human resources can improve nurses' productivity and the quality of care they provide; thereby fulfilling the core objective of the health care system.

Improvements to Rapfish: a rapid evaluation technique for fisheries integrating ecological and human dimensions.

Science.gov (United States)

Pitcher, T J; Lam, M E; Ainsworth, C; Martindale, A; Nakamura, K; Perry, R I; Ward, T

2013-10-01

This paper reports recent developments in Rapfish, a normative, scalable and flexible rapid appraisal technique that integrates both ecological and human dimensions to evaluate the status of fisheries in reference to a norm or goal. Appraisal status targets may be sustainability, compliance with a standard (such as the UN code of conduct for responsible fisheries) or the degree of progress in meeting some other goal or target. The method combines semi-quantitative (e.g. ecological) and qualitative (e.g. social) data via multiple evaluation fields, each of which is assessed through scores assigned to six to 12 attributes or indicators: the scoring method allows user flexibility to adopt a wide range of utility relationships. For assessing sustainability, six evaluation fields have been developed: ecological, technological, economic, social, ethical and institutional. Each field can be assessed directly with a set of scored attributes, or several of the fields can be dealt with in greater detail using nested subfields that themselves comprise multidimensional Rapfish assessments (e.g. the hierarchical institutional field encompasses both governance and management, including a detailed analysis of legality). The user has the choice of including all or only some of the available sustainability fields. For the attributes themselves, there will rarely be quantitative data, but scoring allows these items to be estimated. Indeed, within a normative framework, one important advantage with Rapfish is transparency of the rigour, quality and replicability of the scores. The Rapfish technique employs a constrained multidimensional ordination that is scaled to situate data points within evaluation space. Within each evaluation field, results may be presented as a two-dimensional plot or in a one-dimensional rank order. Uncertainty is expressed through the probability distribution of Monte-Carlo simulations that use the C.L. on each original observation. Overall results of the

Human Factors Evaluation Mentor, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — To obtain valid and reliable data, Human Factors Engineering (HFE) evaluations are currently conducted by people with specialized training and experience in HF. HFE...

Human Factors evaluation of LCS 254 and 255

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goffe, L.; Held, J.E.

1993-01-01

This report includes the results of the Human Factors evaluation of the local control stations (LCS) 254 and 255 performed by Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) Human Factors. Recommendations are included in order that the panel designs will be upgraded to comply with human engineering design guidelines. Figures 1 and 2 are included as examples of recommended changes. Also, consideration was given to including the proposed engineering changes which are currently on-going for LCS 255. Appendix A identifies the human engineering requirements from NUREG-0700 which were used in the evaluation process, and the areas of the design which do not comply with the guidelines. Those areas of the panel design which fail to comply with the human engineering guidelines are label location, label content, location aids, panel layout, and control display integration. Each of these design deficiencies and proposed corrections are described in this report

Improving evaluation at two medical schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiekirka-Schwake, Sarah; Dreiling, Katharina; Pyka, Katharina; Anders, Sven; von Steinbüchel, Nicole; Raupach, Tobias

2017-08-03

Student evaluations of teaching can provide useful feedback for teachers and programme coordinators alike. We have designed a novel evaluation tool assessing teacher performance and student learning outcome. This tool was implemented at two German medical schools. In this article, we report student and teacher perceptions of the novel tool, and the implementation process. Focus group discussions as well as one-to-one interviews involving 22 teachers and 31 undergraduate medical students were conducted. Following adjustments to the feedback reports (e.g. the colour coding of results) at one medical school, 42 teachers were asked about their perceptions of the revised report and the personal benefit of the evaluation tool. Teachers appreciated the individual feedback provided by the evaluation tool and stated that they wanted to improve their teaching, based on the results; however, they missed most of the preparative communication. Students were unsure about the additional benefit of the instrument compared with traditional evaluation tools. A majority was unwilling to complete evaluation forms in their spare time, and some felt that the new questionnaire was too long and that the evaluations occurred too often. They were particularly interested in feedback on how their comments have helped to further improve teaching. Student evaluations of teaching can provide useful feedback CONCLUSION: Despite evidence of the utility of the tool for individual teachers, implementation of changes to the process of evaluation appears to have been suboptimal, mainly owing to a perceived lack of communication. In order to motivate students to provide evaluation data, feedback loops including aims and consequences should be established. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

A human-machine interface evaluation method: A difficulty evaluation method in information searching (DEMIS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ha, Jun Su; Seong, Poong Hyun

2009-01-01

A human-machine interface (HMI) evaluation method, which is named 'difficulty evaluation method in information searching (DEMIS)', is proposed and demonstrated with an experimental study. The DEMIS is based on a human performance model and two measures of attentional-resource effectiveness in monitoring and detection tasks in nuclear power plants (NPPs). Operator competence and HMI design are modeled to be most significant factors to human performance. One of the two effectiveness measures is fixation-to-importance ratio (FIR) which represents attentional resource (eye fixations) spent on an information source compared to importance of the information source. The other measure is selective attention effectiveness (SAE) which incorporates FIRs for all information sources. The underlying principle of the measures is that the information source should be selectively attended to according to its informational importance. In this study, poor performance in information searching tasks is modeled to be coupled with difficulties caused by poor mental models of operators or/and poor HMI design. Human performance in information searching tasks is evaluated by analyzing the FIR and the SAE. Operator mental models are evaluated by a questionnaire-based method. Then difficulties caused by a poor HMI design are evaluated by a focused interview based on the FIR evaluation and then root causes leading to poor performance are identified in a systematic way.

Mesenchymal stromal cells improve human islet function through released products and extracellular matrix.

Science.gov (United States)

Arzouni, Ahmed A; Vargas-Seymour, Andreia; Rackham, Chloe L; Dhadda, Paramjeet; Huang, Guo-Cai; Choudhary, Pratik; Nardi, Nance; King, Aileen J F; Jones, Peter M

2017-12-01

The aims of the present study were (i) to determine whether the reported beneficial effects of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) on mouse islet function extend to clinically relevant human tissues (islets and MSCs), enabling translation into improved protocols for clinical human islet transplantation; and (ii) to identify possible mechanisms through which human MSCs influence human islet function. Human islets were co-cultured with human adipose tissue-derived MSCs (hASCs) or pre-treated with its products - extracellular matrix (ECM) and annexin A1 (ANXA1). Mouse islets were pre-treated with mouse MSC-derived ECM. Islet insulin secretory function was assessed in vitro by radioimmunoassay. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to screen human adipMSCs for potential ligands of human islet G-protein-coupled receptors. We show that co-culture with hASCs improves human islet secretory function in vitro , as measured by glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, confirming previous reports using rodent tissues. Furthermore, we demonstrate that these beneficial effects on islet function can be partly attributed to the MSC-derived products ECM and ANXA1. Our results suggest that hASCs have the potential to improve the quality of human islets isolated for transplantation therapy of Type 1 diabetes. Furthermore, it may be possible to achieve improvements in human islet quality in a cell-free culture system by using the MSC-derived products ANXA1 and ECM. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

Development of an evaluation technique for human-machine interface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Min, Dae Hwan; Koo, Sang Hui; Ahn, Won Yeong; Ryu, Yeong Shin [Korea Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1997-07-15

The purpose of this study is two-fold : firstly to establish an evaluation technique for HMI(Human Machine Interface) in NPPs(Nuclear Power Plants) and secondly to develop an architecture of a support system which can be used for the evaluation of HMI. In order to establish an evaluation technique, this study conducted literature review on basic theories of cognitive science studies and summarized the cognitive characteristics of humans. This study also surveyed evaluation techniques of HMI in general, and reviewed studies on the evaluation of HMI in NPPs. On the basis of this survey, the study established a procedure for the evaluation of HMI in NPPs in Korea and laid a foundation for empirical verification.

Development of an evaluation technique for human-machine interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Min, Dae Hwan; Koo, Sang Hui; Ahn, Won Yeong; Ryu, Yeong Shin

1997-07-01

The purpose of this study is two-fold : firstly to establish an evaluation technique for HMI(Human Machine Interface) in NPPs(Nuclear Power Plants) and secondly to develop an architecture of a support system which can be used for the evaluation of HMI. In order to establish an evaluation technique, this study conducted literature review on basic theories of cognitive science studies and summarized the cognitive characteristics of humans. This study also surveyed evaluation techniques of HMI in general, and reviewed studies on the evaluation of HMI in NPPs. On the basis of this survey, the study established a procedure for the evaluation of HMI in NPPs in Korea and laid a foundation for empirical verification

Human Genome Epidemiology : A scientific foundation for using genetic information to improve health and prevent disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefania Boccia

2005-03-01

Full Text Available

Human health is determined by the interplay of genetic factors and the environment. In this context the recent advances in human genomics are expected to play a central role in medicine and public health by providing genetic information for disease prediction and prevention.

After the completion of the human genome sequencing, a fundamental step will be represented by the translation of these discoveries into meaningful actions to improve health and prevent diseases, and the field of epidemiology plays a central role in this effort. These are some of the issues addressed by Human Genome Epidemiology –A scientific foundation for using genetic information to improve health and prevent disease, a volume edited by Prof. M. Khoury, Prof. J. Little, Prof.W. Burke and published by Oxford university Press 2004.

This book describes the important role that epidemiological methods play in the continuum from gene discovery to the development and application of genetic tests. The Authors calls this continuum human genome epidemiology (HuGE to denote an evolving field of inquiry that uses systematic applications of epidemiological methods to assess the impact of human genetic variation on health and disease.

The book is divided into four sections and it is structured to allow readers to proceed systematically from the fundamentals of genome technology and discovery, to the epidemiological approaches, to gene characterisation, to the evaluation of genetic tests and their use in health services and public health.

System ergonomics as an approach to improve human reliability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bubb, H.

1988-01-01

The application of system technics on ergonomical problems is called system ergonomics. This enables improvements of human reliability by design measures. The precondition for this is the knowledge of how information processing is performed by man and machine. By a separate consideration of sensory processing, cognitive processing, and motory processing it is possible to have a more exact idea of the system element 'man'. The system element 'machine' is well described by differential equations which allow an ergonomical assessment of the manouverability. The knowledge of information processing of man and machine enables a task analysis. This makes appear on one hand the human boundaries depending on the different properties of the task and on the other hand suitable ergonomical solution proposals which improve the reliability of the total system. It is a disadvantage, however, that the change of human reliability by such measures may not be quoted numerically at the moment. (orig.)

Genetically modified human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells for improving the outcome of human islet transplantation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vaibhav Mundra

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to determine the potential of human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs as gene carriers for improving the outcome of human islet transplantation. hBMSCs were characterized for the expression of phenotypic markers and transduced with Adv-hVEGF-hIL-1Ra to overexpress human vascular endothelial growth factor (hVEGF and human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (hIL-1Ra. Human islets were co-cultured with hBMSCs overexpressing hVEGF and hIL-1Ra. Islet viability was determined by membrane fluorescent method and glucose stimulation test. Transduced hBMSCs and human islets were co-transplanted under the kidney capsule of NOD.Cg-Prkdc(scid Il2rg(tm1Wjl /SzJ (NSG diabetic mice and blood glucose levels were measured over time to demonstrate the efficacy of genetically modified hBMSCs. At the end of study, immunofluorescent staining of kidney section bearing islets was performed for insulin and von Willebrand Factor (vWF. hBMSCs were positive for the expression of CD73, CD90, CD105, CD146 and Stro-1 surface markers as determined by flow cytometry. Transduction of hBMSCs with adenovirus did not affect their stemness and differentiation potential as confirmed by mRNA levels of stem cell markers and adipogenic differentiation of transduced hBMSCs. hBMSCs were efficiently transduced with Adv-hVEGF-hIL-1Ra to overexpress hVEGF and hIL-1Ra. Live dead cell staining and glucose stimulation test have shown that transduced hBMSCs improved the viability of islets against cytokine cocktail. Co-transplantation of human islets with genetically modified hBMSCs improved the glycemic control of diabetic NSG mice as determined by mean blood glucose levels and intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test. Immunofluorescent staining of kidney sections was positive for human insulin and vWF. In conclusion, our results have demonstrated that hBMSCs may be used as gene carriers and nursing cells to improve the outcome of islet

Managing human performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bishop, J.; LaRhette, R.

1988-01-01

Evaluating human error or human performance problems and correcting the root causes can help preclude recurrence. The Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), working with several members and participant utilities in an extended pilot program, has developed a nonpunitive program designed to identify, evaluate, and correct situations that cause human performance errors. The program is called the Human Performance Evaluation System (HPES). Its primary goal is to improve human reliability in overall nuclear plant operations by reducing human error through correction of the conditions that cause the errors. Workers at participating nuclear utilities are encouraged to report their errors and a specially trained plant coordinator investigates and recommends actions to correct the root causes of these errors

Evaluation of human error estimation for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haney, L.N.; Blackman, H.S.

1987-01-01

The dominant risk for severe accident occurrence in nuclear power plants (NPPs) is human error. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) sponsored an evaluation of Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) techniques for estimation of human error in NPPs. Twenty HRA techniques identified by a literature search were evaluated with criteria sets designed for that purpose and categorized. Data were collected at a commercial NPP with operators responding in walkthroughs of four severe accident scenarios and full scope simulator runs. Results suggest a need for refinement and validation of the techniques. 19 refs

Evaluation and proposal of improvement for the measurement system in ATLAS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Dong Woo; Kim, Jong Rok; Park, Jun Kwon

2007-03-01

The project independently evaluated the validities and reliability of measurement system in ATLAS, then proposed plans to improve the measurement system from evaluated results. For this objectives, we evaluated the design, technical backgrounds, verifying data of measurement system in ATLAS. From this evaluation, we proposed plans for improvement on parts which need improvement

Humanized mouse models: Application to human diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Ryoji; Takahashi, Takeshi; Ito, Mamoru

2018-05-01

Humanized mice are superior to rodents for preclinical evaluation of the efficacy and safety of drug candidates using human cells or tissues. During the past decade, humanized mouse technology has been greatly advanced by the establishment of novel platforms of genetically modified immunodeficient mice. Several human diseases can be recapitulated using humanized mice due to the improved engraftment and differentiation capacity of human cells or tissues. In this review, we discuss current advanced humanized mouse models that recapitulate human diseases including cancer, allergy, and graft-versus-host disease. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Accident Sequence Evaluation Program: Human reliability analysis procedure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swain, A.D.

1987-02-01

This document presents a shortened version of the procedure, models, and data for human reliability analysis (HRA) which are presented in the Handbook of Human Reliability Analysis With emphasis on Nuclear Power Plant Applications (NUREG/CR-1278, August 1983). This shortened version was prepared and tried out as part of the Accident Sequence Evaluation Program (ASEP) funded by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and managed by Sandia National Laboratories. The intent of this new HRA procedure, called the ''ASEP HRA Procedure,'' is to enable systems analysts, with minimal support from experts in human reliability analysis, to make estimates of human error probabilities and other human performance characteristics which are sufficiently accurate for many probabilistic risk assessments. The ASEP HRA Procedure consists of a Pre-Accident Screening HRA, a Pre-Accident Nominal HRA, a Post-Accident Screening HRA, and a Post-Accident Nominal HRA. The procedure in this document includes changes made after tryout and evaluation of the procedure in four nuclear power plants by four different systems analysts and related personnel, including human reliability specialists. The changes consist of some additional explanatory material (including examples), and more detailed definitions of some of the terms. 42 refs

Improving of the management quality of human resources

OpenAIRE

Miceski, Trajko

2004-01-01

Improvement of the management quality of human resources is a continuous process, based on multidimensional concept of activities, with special emphasis on increasing the level of competence of the employees both in their working place and in additional activities in the decision making bodies.

Human factors evaluation of teletherapy: Function and task analysis. Volume 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaye, R.D.; Henriksen, K.; Jones, R. [Hughes Training, Inc., Falls Church, VA (United States); Morisseau, D.S.; Serig, D.I. [Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States). Div. of Systems Technology

1995-07-01

As a treatment methodology, teletherapy selectively destroys cancerous and other tissue by exposure to an external beam of ionizing radiation. Sources of radiation are either a radioactive isotope, typically Cobalt-60 (Co-60), or a linear accelerator. Records maintained by the NRC have identified instances of teletherapy misadministration where the delivered radiation dose has differed from the radiation prescription (e.g., instances where fractions were delivered to the wrong patient, to the wrong body part, or were too great or too little with respect to the defined treatment volume). Both human error and machine malfunction have led to misadministrations. Effective and safe treatment requires a concern for precision and consistency of human-human and human-machine interactions throughout the course of therapy. The present study is the first part of a series of human factors evaluations for identifying the root causes that lead to human error in the teletherapy environment. The human factors evaluations included: (1) a function and task analysis of teletherapy activities, (2) an evaluation of the human-system interfaces, (3) an evaluation of procedures used by teletherapy staff, (4) an evaluation of the training and qualifications of treatment staff (excluding the oncologists), (5) an evaluation of organizational practices and policies, and (6) an identification of problems and alternative approaches for NRC and industry attention. The present report addresses the function and task analysis of teletherapy activities and provides the foundation for the conduct of the subsequent evaluations. The report includes sections on background, methodology, a description of the function and task analysis, and use of the task analysis findings for the subsequent tasks. The function and task analysis data base also is included.

Human factors evaluation of teletherapy: Function and task analysis. Volume 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaye, R.D.; Henriksen, K.; Jones, R.; Morisseau, D.S.; Serig, D.I.

1995-07-01

As a treatment methodology, teletherapy selectively destroys cancerous and other tissue by exposure to an external beam of ionizing radiation. Sources of radiation are either a radioactive isotope, typically Cobalt-60 (Co-60), or a linear accelerator. Records maintained by the NRC have identified instances of teletherapy misadministration where the delivered radiation dose has differed from the radiation prescription (e.g., instances where fractions were delivered to the wrong patient, to the wrong body part, or were too great or too little with respect to the defined treatment volume). Both human error and machine malfunction have led to misadministrations. Effective and safe treatment requires a concern for precision and consistency of human-human and human-machine interactions throughout the course of therapy. The present study is the first part of a series of human factors evaluations for identifying the root causes that lead to human error in the teletherapy environment. The human factors evaluations included: (1) a function and task analysis of teletherapy activities, (2) an evaluation of the human-system interfaces, (3) an evaluation of procedures used by teletherapy staff, (4) an evaluation of the training and qualifications of treatment staff (excluding the oncologists), (5) an evaluation of organizational practices and policies, and (6) an identification of problems and alternative approaches for NRC and industry attention. The present report addresses the function and task analysis of teletherapy activities and provides the foundation for the conduct of the subsequent evaluations. The report includes sections on background, methodology, a description of the function and task analysis, and use of the task analysis findings for the subsequent tasks. The function and task analysis data base also is included

Human factors assessment in PRA using task analysis linked evaluation technique (TALENT)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wells, J.E.; Banks, W.W.

1990-01-01

Human error is a primary contributor to risk in complex high-reliability systems. A 1985 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) study of licensee event reports (LERs) suggests that upwards of 65% of commercial nuclear system failures involve human error. Since then, the USNRC has initiated research to fully and properly integrate human errors into the probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) process. The resulting implementation procedure is known as the Task Analysis Linked Evaluation Technique (TALENT). As indicated, TALENT is a broad-based method for integrating human factors expertise into the PRA process. This process achieves results which: (1) provide more realistic estimates of the impact of human performance on nuclear power safety, (2) can be fully audited, (3) provide a firm technical base for equipment-centered and personnel-centered retrofit/redesign of plants enabling them to meet internally and externally imposed safety standards, and (4) yield human and hardware data capable of supporting inquiries into human performance issues that transcend the individual plant. The TALENT procedure is being field-tested to verify its effectiveness and utility. The objectives of the field-test are to examine (1) the operability of the process, (2) its acceptability to the users, and (3) its usefulness for achieving measurable improvements in the credibility of the analysis. The field-test will provide the information needed to enhance the TALENT process

Human engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Seong Hwan; Park, Bum; Gang, Yeong Sik; Gal, Won Mo; Baek, Seung Ryeol; Choe, Jeong Hwa; Kim, Dae Sung

2006-07-01

This book mentions human engineering, which deals with introduction of human engineering, Man-Machine system like system design, and analysis and evaluation of Man-Machine system, data processing and data input, display, system control of man, human mistake and reliability, human measurement and design of working place, human working, hand tool and manual material handling, condition of working circumstance, working management, working analysis, motion analysis working measurement, and working improvement and design in human engineering.

Metaphors of Human Thinking: A New Tool in User Interface Design and Evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frøkjær, Erik; Hornbæk, Kasper

2003-01-01

human thinking, inspection technique, usability evaluation, heuristic evaluation, quantitative study......human thinking, inspection technique, usability evaluation, heuristic evaluation, quantitative study...

Quality Improvement Project to Improve Patient Satisfaction With Pain Management: Using Human-Centered Design.

Science.gov (United States)

Trail-Mahan, Tracy; Heisler, Scott; Katica, Mary

2016-01-01

In this quality improvement project, our health system developed a comprehensive, patient-centered approach to improving inpatient pain management and assessed its impact on patient satisfaction across 21 medical centers. Using human-centered design principles, a bundle of 6 individual and team nursing practices was developed. Patient satisfaction with pain management, as measured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems pain composite score, increased from the 25th to just under the 75th national percentile.

A Survey on the HFE-related Technologies for the Improvements of Human Performance of Safety Personnel in Rail System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koo, I. S.; Park, G. O.; Suh, S. M.; Sim, Y. R.; Go, J. H.; Jeong, J. H.; Son, C. H.

2005-08-01

Many studies have shown that the most cases of rail accidents have occurred because of performing his/her tasks in inappropriate way. It is generally recognised that the rail system without human element could never be happened quite long time. So human element in rail system is going to be the major factor to the next tragic accident. This state-of-the-art report describes three major HFE-related technologies, training simulator, the integrated test facility for human factors engineering, and human performance evaluation system, that are used in the other industries including nuclear power industry for the purpose of increasing rail safety through out the improvement of human task performance. Base on this report, the way of developing those technologies that should be applied to the korean rail system is presented

A Survey on the HFE-related Technologies for the Improvements of Human Performance of Safety Personnel in Rail System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koo, I. S.; Park, G. O.; Suh, S. M.; Sim, Y. R.; Go, J. H.; Jeong, J. H.; Son, C. H

2005-08-15

Many studies have shown that the most cases of rail accidents have occurred because of performing his/her tasks in inappropriate way. It is generally recognised that the rail system without human element could never be happened quite long time. So human element in rail system is going to be the major factor to the next tragic accident. This state-of-the-art report describes three major HFE-related technologies, training simulator, the integrated test facility for human factors engineering, and human performance evaluation system, that are used in the other industries including nuclear power industry for the purpose of increasing rail safety through out the improvement of human task performance. Base on this report, the way of developing those technologies that should be applied to the korean rail system is presented.

A study on the dependency evaluation for multiple human actions in human reliability analysis of probabilistic safety assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, D. I.; Yang, J. E.; Jung, W. D.; Sung, T. Y.; Park, J. H.; Lee, Y. H.; Hwang, M. J.; Kim, K. Y.; Jin, Y. H.; Kim, S. C.

1997-02-01

This report describes the study results on the method of the dependency evaluation and the modeling, and the limited value of human error probability (HEP) for multiple human actions in accident sequences of probabilistic safety assessment (PSA). THERP and Parry's method, which have been generally used in dependency evaluation of human reliability analysis (HRA), are introduced and their limitations are discussed. New dependency evaluation method in HRA is established to make up for the weak points of THERP and Parry's methods. The limited value of HEP is also established based on the review of several HRA related documents. This report describes the definition, the type, the evaluation method, and the evaluation example of dependency to help the reader's understanding. It is expected that this study results will give a guidance to HRA analysts in dependency evaluation of multiple human actions and enable PSA analysts to understand HRA in detail. (author). 23 refs., 3 tabs., 2 figs

Accident Sequence Evaluation Program: Human reliability analysis procedure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Swain, A.D.

1987-02-01

This document presents a shortened version of the procedure, models, and data for human reliability analysis (HRA) which are presented in the Handbook of Human Reliability Analysis With emphasis on Nuclear Power Plant Applications (NUREG/CR-1278, August 1983). This shortened version was prepared and tried out as part of the Accident Sequence Evaluation Program (ASEP) funded by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and managed by Sandia National Laboratories. The intent of this new HRA procedure, called the ''ASEP HRA Procedure,'' is to enable systems analysts, with minimal support from experts in human reliability analysis, to make estimates of human error probabilities and other human performance characteristics which are sufficiently accurate for many probabilistic risk assessments. The ASEP HRA Procedure consists of a Pre-Accident Screening HRA, a Pre-Accident Nominal HRA, a Post-Accident Screening HRA, and a Post-Accident Nominal HRA. The procedure in this document includes changes made after tryout and evaluation of the procedure in four nuclear power plants by four different systems analysts and related personnel, including human reliability specialists. The changes consist of some additional explanatory material (including examples), and more detailed definitions of some of the terms. 42 refs.

IMPROVING CONTROL ROOM DESIGN AND OPERATIONS BASED ON HUMAN FACTORS ANALYSES OR HOW MUCH HUMAN FACTORS UPGRADE IS ENOUGH ?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

HIGGINS,J.C.; OHARA,J.M.; ALMEIDA,P.

2002-09-19

THE JOSE CABRERA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IS A ONE LOOP WESTINGHOUSE PRESSURIZED WATER REACTOR. IN THE CONTROL ROOM, THE DISPLAYS AND CONTROLS USED BY OPERATORS FOR THE EMERGENCY OPERATING PROCEDURES ARE DISTRIBUTED ON FRONT AND BACK PANELS. THIS CONFIGURATION CONTRIBUTED TO RISK IN THE PROBABILISTIC SAFETY ASSESSMENT WHERE IMPORTANT OPERATOR ACTIONS ARE REQUIRED. THIS STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF THE DESIGN ON CREW PERFORMANCE AND PLANT SAFETY AND TO DEVELOP DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS.FIVE POTENTIAL EFFECTS WERE IDENTIFIED. THEN NUREG-0711 [1], PROGRAMMATIC, HUMAN FACTORS, ANALYSES WERE CONDUCTED TO SYSTEMATICALLY EVALUATE THE CR-LA YOUT TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS. THESE ANALYSES INCLUDED OPERATING EXPERIENCE REVIEW, PSA REVIEW, TASK ANALYSES, AND WALKTHROUGH SIMULATIONS. BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THESE ANALYSES, A VARIETY OF CONTROL ROOM MODIFICATIONS WERE IDENTIFIED. FROM THE ALTERNATIVES, A SELECTION WAS MADE THAT PROVIDED A REASONABLEBALANCE BE TWEEN PERFORMANCE, RISK AND ECONOMICS, AND MODIFICATIONS WERE MADE TO THE PLANT.

A Human Capabilities Framework for Evaluating Student Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Melanie

2008-01-01

This paper proposes a human capabilities approach for evaluating student learning and the social and pedagogical arrangements that support equality in capabilities for all students. It outlines the focus on valuable beings and doings in the capability approach developed by Amartya Sen, and Martha Nussbaum's capabilities focus on human flourishing.…

Cardiotoxicity evaluation using human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Qi; Wang, Xijie; Wang, Shuyan; Song, Zheng; Wang, Jiaxian; Ma, Jing

2017-03-09

Cardiotoxicity remains an important concern in drug discovery. Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) have become an attractive platform to evaluate cardiotoxicity. However, the consistency between human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) in prediction of cardiotoxicity has yet to be elucidated. Here we screened the toxicities of four representative drugs (E-4031, isoprenaline, quinidine, and haloperidol) using both hESC-CMs and hiPSC-CMs, combined with an impedance-based bioanalytical method. It showed that both hESC-CMs and hiPSC-CMs can recapitulate cardiotoxicity and identify the effects of well-characterized compounds. The combined platform of hPSC-CMs and an impedance-based bioanalytical method could improve preclinical cardiotoxicity screening, holding great potential for increasing drug development accuracy.

Human Reliability Assessment and Human Performance Evaluation: Research and Analysis Activities at the U.S. NRC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramey-Smith, A.M.

1998-01-01

The author indicates the themes of the six programs identified by the US NRC mission on human performance and human reliability activities. They aim at developing the technical basis to support human performance, at developing and updating a model of human performance and human reliability, at fostering national and international dialogue and cooperation efforts on human performance evaluation, at conducting operating events analysis and database development, and at providing support to human performance and human reliability inspection

The nutrition intervention improved adult human capital and economic productivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Martorell, Reynaldo; Melgar, Paul; Maluccio, John A; Stein, Aryeh D; Rivera, Juan A

2010-02-01

This article reviews key findings about the long-term impact of a nutrition intervention carried out by the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama from 1969 to 1977. Results from follow-up studies in 1988-89 and 2002-04 show substantial impact on adult human capital and economic productivity. The 1988-89 study showed that adult body size and work capacity increased for those provided improved nutrition through age 3 y, whereas the 2002-04 follow-up showed that schooling was increased for women and reading comprehension and intelligence increased in both men and women. Participants were 26-42 y of age at the time of the 2002-04 follow-up, facilitating the assessment of economic productivity. Wages of men increased by 46% in those provided with improved nutrition through age 2 y. Findings for cardiovascular disease risk factors were heterogeneous; however, they suggest that improved nutrition in early life is unlikely to increase cardiovascular disease risk later in life and may indeed lower risk. In conclusion, the substantial improvement in adult human capital and economic productivity resulting from the nutrition intervention provides a powerful argument for promoting improvements in nutrition in pregnant women and young children.

Stable isotopes for improving human nutrition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uauy, Ricardo

2001-01-01

, e.g., vitamin A, iron and zinc nutrition. Copper deficit and excess also have important implications for human health. Here, isotopic methods for measuring absorption, storage and excretion permit a more precise definition of the range of exposures that are tolerated without adverse effects. The mandate of IAEA to support national governments, UN agencies and others in using nuclear procedures to monitor the impact of interventions, demographic change and development is being served by regional technical cooperation projects in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Building local capacity has been incorporated in the process, establishing networks to support local programs, training activities, and laboratories. These efforts will serve applied researchers and planners who need the practical applications of novel methodologies to improve nutrition and the well being of underserved populations world-wide. (author)

Competences and evaluation of human resource performance in the tourism sector. The case of Ambato-Ecuador

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mary Elizabeth Cruz Lascano

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Personnel evaluation is a tool and not an end in itself. It is a means to obtain data and information that can be registered, processed and channeled to improve human performance in organizations. There are several management practices that meet the needs of the time and the predominant structure of organizations, however, change is the only constant as far as human behavior is concerned, because of this, all the time are analyzing and researching new ways to evaluate staff performance in business, with the sole purpose of creating spaces of motivation to ensure the involvement of staff in achieving business goals. At the time, results have been achieved, but there is way to go, the analysis of the information obtained through a survey undertaken several staff tourist establishments in the city, will be the basis to determine the evaluation methodology in order to enhance the skills of those who are the driving force within the company, collaborators.

Fiscal 1999 technological survey report. Part 2. Applied technology for measuring human sense (Human sense measuring manual - basic technology for sense evaluation); Ningen kankaku keisoku manual. 2. Kankaku hyoka kiban gijutsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-03-01

A method of measuring/evaluating a mental and physical state by means of physiological information developed by a project was compiled into a 'guide book', as was a method of evaluating adaptability to the environment or products; and, this manual was prepared for the purpose of improving the adaptability of human beings to products by making use of the guide book widely in the field of industrial manufacturing. The part 2 explains a hard measuring instrument, evaluation device, simulation system, method of data analysis, etc., as 'basic technology for sense evaluation'. The chapter 1 is a new measuring and evaluation device (device for measuring physiological signals on the surface of the body, device for measuring visual characteristics, measuring device of in vivo substance, measuring device of thermal response, and system for evaluating adaptability of practical form), the chapter 2 is a new simulator (model of human body temperature with clothes on, human comfort meter, perspiring thermal manikin, and autonomic nerve control model in cardiac blood vessel/respiratory system), and the chapter 3 is new experimental/analytical method (new data analysis method and subjective evaluation questionnaire for stress assessment). (NEDO)

NOTION, ELEMENTS AND EVALUATION OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGMENT IN SPORT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milorad M. Drobac

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Principal object of the author’s research in work is identification of notion, cru- cial elements and evaluation of human resources management in general and apart in sport. From the beginning of usage of term “human resources management”, we use foretoken “strategic” that has especially signified meaning. Strategic approach to the exploration of this problem points to the fact that human resources are from particularly significance for all forms of human organization (firms, associations, institutions etc., regardless are we talking about economy, social activity, politics, science, sport or any other area of human activity. Experience shows that, in our society, we mainly considered human resources management from the aspect of formulation and implementation of strategy in any shape and segment of altogether human activity, but we pay a little interest to the control, or in other words evaluation of human resources performance. What is attained in world rela- tions, on the human resources management plan, admonish and binds that we must ac- cept employees in our environment (it implies sport as an equal partner in management

Means of evaluating and improving the effectiveness of training of nuclear power plant personnel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-07-01

, weaknesses can be identified and improvements made. These improvements should support an overall improvement in plant performance. Strengths can also be identified to further strengthen the positive aspects of the organization. This report provides information on methods and practices used to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of training. This should result in: plant performance improvement, improved human performance, meeting goals and objectives of the business (quality, safety, productivity), and improving training programmes. This publication is available in two formats, as a conventional printed publication and as a CD-ROM which also contains original contributions in the original language by Member States. The purpose of this report is to provide information on methods and practices to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of training and assistance for nuclear facility managers to establish and maintain effective training programmes for NPP personnel. In this context, the term training effectiveness means that training provides significant added value to NPP operations by improved safety, quality and production. This publication also contains several examples to identify and improve the effectiveness of NPP training programmes. In their respective NPPs, these examples demonstrate that effective training programmes are reflected in improved personnel performance, improved plant performance, and therefore, the achievement of NPP goals and objectives.

Means of evaluating and improving the effectiveness of training of nuclear power plant personnel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-07-01

, weaknesses can be identified and improvements made. These improvements should support an overall improvement in plant performance. Strengths can also be identified to further strengthen the positive aspects of the organization. This report provides information on methods and practices used to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of training. This should result in: plant performance improvement, improved human performance, meeting goals and objectives of the business (quality, safety, productivity), and improving training programmes. This publication is available in two formats, as a conventional printed publication and as a CD-ROM which also contains original contributions in the original language by Member States. The purpose of this report is to provide information on methods and practices to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of training and assistance for nuclear facility managers to establish and maintain effective training programmes for NPP personnel. In this context, the term training effectiveness means that training provides significant added value to NPP operations by improved safety, quality and production. This publication also contains several examples to identify and improve the effectiveness of NPP training programmes. In their respective NPPs, these examples demonstrate that effective training programmes are reflected in improved personnel performance, improved plant performance, and therefore, the achievement of NPP goals and objectives

Improving Human Resources Recruitment in Maritime Domain

OpenAIRE

Surugiu Felicia; Dragomir Cristina

2011-01-01

In order to improve maritime human resources recruitment, most crewing and shipping companies implement an internal procedure of recruitment and management of ship’s crew. Based on observations at several crewing companies, this paper presents an example of such procedure meant to ensure that qualified and competent personnel is recruited and all ships in the fleet have crew members understanding their roles, duties and responsibilities and capable of working effectively in teams

Improving early cycle economic evaluation of diagnostic technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Steuten, Lotte M G; Ramsey, Scott D

2014-08-01

The rapidly increasing range and expense of new diagnostics, compels consideration of a different, more proactive approach to health economic evaluation of diagnostic technologies. Early cycle economic evaluation is a decision analytic approach to evaluate technologies in development so as to increase the return on investment as well as patient and societal impact. This paper describes examples of 'early cycle economic evaluations' as applied to diagnostic technologies and highlights challenges in its real-time application. It shows that especially in the field of diagnostics, with rapid technological developments and a changing regulatory climate, early cycle economic evaluation can have a guiding role to improve the efficiency of the diagnostics innovation process. In the next five years the attention will move beyond the methodological and analytic challenges of early cycle economic evaluation towards the challenge of effectively applying it to improve diagnostic research and development and patient value. Future work in this area should therefore be 'strong on principles and soft on metrics', that is, the metrics that resonate most clearly with the various decision makers in this field.

Overview of human performance improvement initiatives in Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs )

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Ashok Kumar

2006-01-01

Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) are very complex systems. Diverse, multiple and redundant technological systems are used for effective control and safety of the NPPs. The increased numbers of such systems require increased operator attention. Additionally, the control stations (man-machine interfaces) are to be kept manageable in size. This sometimes reduces the scope for truly ergonomic design. These limitations, coupled with the shortcomings of human nature, led to unintended human performance problems and errors resulting into poor plant performance worldwide. Some organisational weaknesses, managerial decisions and latent errors also aided and abetted human errors. In view of this, a need was felt for development of performance culture at all levels in NPP organisations. Towards this end, ready-to-use performance improvement tools were developed and used for individual performers, supervisors and managers in the NPPs. This paper describes the experiences of the global nuclear electricity generating industry towards human performance improvement and error reduction. (author)

Evaluation of Human Enteric Viruses in Surface Water and Drinking Water Resources in Southern Ghana

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, Kristen E.; Opryszko, Melissa C.; Schissler, James T.; Guo, Yayi; Schwab, Kellogg J.

2011-01-01

An estimated 884 million people worldwide do not have access to an improved drinking water source, and the microbial quality of these sources is often unknown. In this study, a combined tangential flow, hollow fiber ultrafiltration (UF), and real-time PCR method was applied to large volume (100 L) groundwater (N = 4), surface water (N = 9), and finished (i.e., receiving treatment) drinking water (N = 6) samples for the evaluation of human enteric viruses and bacterial indicators. Human enteric viruses including norovirus GI and GII, adenovirus, and polyomavirus were detected in five different samples including one groundwater, three surface water, and one drinking water sample. Total coliforms and Escherichia coli assessed for each sample before and after UF revealed a lack of correlation between bacterial indicators and the presence of human enteric viruses. PMID:21212196

EVALUATING HUMAN CAPITAL IN A KNOWLEDGE – BASED APPROACH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emanoil MUSCALU

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The widespread enthusiasm for a knowledge-based approach to understanding the nature of a business and the possible basis for sustained competitive advantage have renewed interest in human capital evaluation or measurement. While many attempts have been made to develop methods for measuring intellectual capital, none have been widely adopted in the business world. In the knowledge-based organizations, and generally, in the information society, human capital is recognized as the fundamental factor of overall progress, and experts agree that long-term investment in human capital has strong drive-propagation effects at the individual, organizational, national and global level. In this paper, we consider that a knowledge-based approach can offer new possibilities and answers to illustrate the importance of evaluation the human capital and knowledge assets by consistently generating added value in the business world.

Evaluation of operators' mental workload of human-system interface automation in the advanced nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jou, Y.-T.; Yenn, T.-C.; Lin, Chiuhsiang Joe; Yang, C.-W.; Chiang, C.-C.

2009-01-01

It has been expected that the automation of certain tasks in a control room would help decrease operators' mental workload, enhance situation awareness, and improve the whole system performance. However, there have been too many automation-induced system failures that would warrant a fresh look on the influences of automation. Automation problems include the reduction in the operator's system awareness, an increase in monitoring workload, and the degradation in manual skills. This study evaluates operators' mental workload and system performance during a human-system interface (HSI) automation in an advanced nuclear power plant (NPP). The reactor shutdown task and alarm reset task simulations were conducted in this study to evaluate operators' mental workload and performance. The results of this study indicated that for ensuring safe operating in NPPs, the design of automation needs to be carefully implemented. Task characteristics and degrees of automation should be carefully evaluated while designing HSIs. The reactor shutdown tasks studied in this paper suggest that a high level of automation design for the long period and low workload would be sufficient. On the other hand, the degree of automation of alarm reset task does not show a significant difference to the operator's mental workload. In conclusion, the human-system interface automation in advanced NPPs is suggested to be more flexible and needs to be continually improved.

Process Evaluation and Continuous Improvement in Community Youth Programs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer V. Trachtenberg

2008-06-01

Full Text Available A method of using process evaluation to provide improvement plans in order to promote community youth programs is described. The core elements of this method include the following: (1 collection and analysis of baseline data, (2 feedback provided to programs describing their strengths and limitations, (3 programs provided with assistance in preparing improvement plans in regard to their baseline data, and (4 follow-up evaluation assessed program changes based on their improvement plans and baseline data. A case study of an inner-city neighborhood youth center is used to demonstrate this method.

Human performance improvement in organizations: Potential application for the nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-11-01

This publication is primarily intended for managers and specialists in nuclear facility operating organizations working in the area of human performance improvement. It is intended to provide them with practical information they can use to improve human performance in their organizations. While some of the information provided in this publication is based upon the experience of nuclear facility operating organizations, most of it comes from human performance improvement initiatives in non-nuclear organizations and industries. The nuclear industry has a long tradition of sharing good management practices in order to foster continuous improvement. However, it is not always realized that many of the practices that are now well established initially came from non-nuclear industries and were subsequently adapted for application to nuclear power plant operating organizations. There is, therefore, good reason to periodically review non-nuclear industry practices for ideas that might have direct or indirect application to the nuclear industry in order to potentially gain benefits such as the following: new approaches to certain problem areas, insights into new or impending challenges, improvements in existing practices, benchmarking of opportunities, development of learning organizations and avoidance of collective blind spots. The preparation of this report was an activity of the project on Effective Training to Achieve Excellence in the Performance of NPP Personnel. The objective of this project is to enhance the capability of Member States to utilize proven practices developed and transferred by the IAEA for improving personnel performance. The expected outcome from this project is the increased use by organizations in Members States of proven engineering and management practices and methodologies developed and transferred by the IAEA to improve personnel performance

Human factors evaluation of teletherapy: Literature review. Volume 5

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henriksen, K.; Kaye, R.D.; Jones, R. [Hughes Training, Inc., Falls Church, VA (United States); Morisseau, D.S.; Serig, D.L. [Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States). Div. of Systems Technology

1995-07-01

A series of human factors evaluations were undertaken to better understand the contributing factors to human error in the teletherapy environment. Teletherapy is a multidisciplinary methodology for treating cancerous tissue through selective exposure to an external beam of ionizing radiation. A team of human factors specialists, assisted by a panel of radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiation therapists, conducted site visits to radiation oncology departments at community hospitals, university centers, and free-standing clinics. A function and task analysis was performed initially to guide subsequent evaluations in the areas of workplace environment, system-user interfaces, procedures, training, and organizational practices. To further acquire an in-depth and up-to-date understanding of the practice of teletherapy in support of these evaluations, a systematic literature review was conducted. Factors that have a potential impact on the accuracy of treatment delivery were of primary concern. The present volume is the literature review. The volume starts with an overview of the multiphased nature of teletherapy, and then examines the requirement for precision, the increasing role of quality assurance, current conceptualizations of human error, and the role of system factors such as the workplace environment, user-system interfaces, procedures, training, and organizational practices.

Human factors evaluation of teletherapy: Literature review. Volume 5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henriksen, K.; Kaye, R.D.; Jones, R.; Morisseau, D.S.; Serig, D.L.

1995-07-01

A series of human factors evaluations were undertaken to better understand the contributing factors to human error in the teletherapy environment. Teletherapy is a multidisciplinary methodology for treating cancerous tissue through selective exposure to an external beam of ionizing radiation. A team of human factors specialists, assisted by a panel of radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiation therapists, conducted site visits to radiation oncology departments at community hospitals, university centers, and free-standing clinics. A function and task analysis was performed initially to guide subsequent evaluations in the areas of workplace environment, system-user interfaces, procedures, training, and organizational practices. To further acquire an in-depth and up-to-date understanding of the practice of teletherapy in support of these evaluations, a systematic literature review was conducted. Factors that have a potential impact on the accuracy of treatment delivery were of primary concern. The present volume is the literature review. The volume starts with an overview of the multiphased nature of teletherapy, and then examines the requirement for precision, the increasing role of quality assurance, current conceptualizations of human error, and the role of system factors such as the workplace environment, user-system interfaces, procedures, training, and organizational practices

Towards an Improved Pilot-Vehicle Interface for Highly Automated Aircraft: Evaluation of the Haptic Flight Control System

Science.gov (United States)

Schutte, Paul; Goodrich, Kenneth; Williams, Ralph

2012-01-01

The control automation and interaction paradigm (e.g., manual, autopilot, flight management system) used on virtually all large highly automated aircraft has long been an exemplar of breakdowns in human factors and human-centered design. An alternative paradigm is the Haptic Flight Control System (HFCS) that is part of NASA Langley Research Center s Naturalistic Flight Deck Concept. The HFCS uses only stick and throttle for easily and intuitively controlling the actual flight of the aircraft without losing any of the efficiency and operational benefits of the current paradigm. Initial prototypes of the HFCS are being evaluated and this paper describes one such evaluation. In this evaluation we examined claims regarding improved situation awareness, appropriate workload, graceful degradation, and improved pilot acceptance. Twenty-four instrument-rated pilots were instructed to plan and fly four different flights in a fictitious airspace using a moderate fidelity desktop simulation. Three different flight control paradigms were tested: Manual control, Full Automation control, and a simplified version of the HFCS. Dependent variables included both subjective (questionnaire) and objective (SAGAT) measures of situation awareness, workload (NASA-TLX), secondary task performance, time to recognize automation failures, and pilot preference (questionnaire). The results showed a statistically significant advantage for the HFCS in a number of measures. Results that were not statistically significant still favored the HFCS. The results suggest that the HFCS does offer an attractive and viable alternative to the tactical components of today s FMS/autopilot control system. The paper describes further studies that are planned to continue to evaluate the HFCS.

Listening to people to cure people: the LpCp - tool, an instrument to evaluate hospital humanization.

Science.gov (United States)

Buffoli, M; Bellini, E; Bellagarda, A; Di Noia, M; Nickolova, M; Capolongo, S

2014-01-01

In the healthcare environment, nowadays, only a few among the available evaluation systems pay enough attention to certain social sustainability aspects. Among these, humanization plays a key role in an environment, like hospitals, where the mental and physical well-being of patients and healthcare operators is crucial. Our research project, known as 'SustHealth', is focused on the deficiencies of the evaluation methodology and aims at developing an assessment system related to a questionnaire-based investigation capable of revealing the most influential conditions and dynamics in people's hospital experience, while also recommending areas in hospitals where efforts can be made to sustain improvement strategies. The humanization of healthcare structures began with a significant investigation to assess all the major evaluation tools in both hospitals - to better understand the physical and emotional interactions in the structure-user ratio - and other areas. This helped understand the strengths and criticalities of the systems that were examined. This first step also allowed to shed light on the most important aspects to keep in mind when developing an evaluation system. During the operational steps an all-new LpCp - tool (Listening to people to Cure people) was created, which includes a questionnaire-based investigation and processing software, and its application for beta-testing in a 600-bed hospital in Milan. The LpCp - tool proved to be effective and capable of finding the deficiencies and potential in the examined hospital. Considering different themes through alternative viewpoints (staff, patients/visitors, technicians, etc.), the tool has allowed underlining different perceptions of the same place and also provided sound information to guide healthcare management in taking informed decisions about specific problems or users. Former interesting results show an inadequate appraisal about e.g. on-site facilities or recreational activities and a lack of

Improving Saliency Models by Predicting Human Fixation Patches

KAUST Repository

Dubey, Rachit

2015-04-16

There is growing interest in studying the Human Visual System (HVS) to supplement and improve the performance of computer vision tasks. A major challenge for current visual saliency models is predicting saliency in cluttered scenes (i.e. high false positive rate). In this paper, we propose a fixation patch detector that predicts image patches that contain human fixations with high probability. Our proposed model detects sparse fixation patches with an accuracy of 84 % and eliminates non-fixation patches with an accuracy of 84 % demonstrating that low-level image features can indeed be used to short-list and identify human fixation patches. We then show how these detected fixation patches can be used as saliency priors for popular saliency models, thus, reducing false positives while maintaining true positives. Extensive experimental results show that our proposed approach allows state-of-the-art saliency methods to achieve better prediction performance on benchmark datasets.

Improving Saliency Models by Predicting Human Fixation Patches

KAUST Repository

Dubey, Rachit; Dave, Akshat; Ghanem, Bernard

2015-01-01

There is growing interest in studying the Human Visual System (HVS) to supplement and improve the performance of computer vision tasks. A major challenge for current visual saliency models is predicting saliency in cluttered scenes (i.e. high false positive rate). In this paper, we propose a fixation patch detector that predicts image patches that contain human fixations with high probability. Our proposed model detects sparse fixation patches with an accuracy of 84 % and eliminates non-fixation patches with an accuracy of 84 % demonstrating that low-level image features can indeed be used to short-list and identify human fixation patches. We then show how these detected fixation patches can be used as saliency priors for popular saliency models, thus, reducing false positives while maintaining true positives. Extensive experimental results show that our proposed approach allows state-of-the-art saliency methods to achieve better prediction performance on benchmark datasets.

Incentives for improving human resource outcomes in health care: overview of reviews.

Science.gov (United States)

Misfeldt, Renee; Linder, Jordana; Lait, Jana; Hepp, Shelanne; Armitage, Gail; Jackson, Karen; Suter, Esther

2014-01-01

To review the effectiveness of financial and nonfinancial incentives for improving the benefits (recruitment, retention, job satisfaction, absenteeism, turnover, intent to leave) of human resource strategies in health care. Overview of 33 reviews published from 2000 to 2012 summarized the effectiveness of incentives for improving human resource outcomes in health care (such as job satisfaction, turnover rates, recruitment, and retention) that met the inclusion criteria and were assessed by at least two research members using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews quality assessment tool. Of those, 13 reviews met the quality criteria and were included in the overview. Information was extracted on a description of the review, the incentives considered, and their impact on human resource outcomes. The information on the relationship between incentives and outcomes was assessed and synthesized. While financial compensation is the best-recognized approach within an incentives package, there is evidence that health care practitioners respond positively to incentives linked to the quality of the working environments including opportunities for professional development, improved work life balance, interprofessional collaboration, and professional autonomy. There is less evidence that workload factors such as job demand, restructured staffing models, re-engineered work designs, ward practices, employment status, or staff skill mix have an impact on human resource outcomes. Overall, evidence of effective strategies for improving outcomes is mixed. While financial incentives play a key role in enhancing outcomes, they need to be considered as only one strategy within an incentives package. There is stronger evidence that improving the work place environment and instituting mechanisms for work-life balance need to be part of an overall strategy to improve outcomes for health care practitioners.

A Human/Computer Learning Network to Improve Biodiversity Conservation and Research

OpenAIRE

Kelling, Steve; Gerbracht, Jeff; Fink, Daniel; Lagoze, Carl; Wong, Weng-Keen; Yu, Jun; Damoulas, Theodoros; Gomes, Carla

2012-01-01

In this paper we describe eBird, a citizen-science project that takes advantage of the human observational capacity to identify birds to species, which is then used to accurately represent patterns of bird occurrences across broad spatial and temporal extents. eBird employs artificial intelligence techniques such as machine learning to improve data quality by taking advantage of the synergies between human computation and mechanical computation. We call this a Human-Computer Learning Network,...

A tool for safety evaluations of road improvements.

Science.gov (United States)

Peltola, Harri; Rajamäki, Riikka; Luoma, Juha

2013-11-01

Road safety impact assessments are requested in general, and the directive on road infrastructure safety management makes them compulsory for Member States of the European Union. However, there is no widely used, science-based safety evaluation tool available. We demonstrate a safety evaluation tool called TARVA. It uses EB safety predictions as the basis for selecting locations for implementing road-safety improvements and provides estimates of safety benefits of selected improvements. Comparing different road accident prediction methods, we demonstrate that the most accurate estimates are produced by EB models, followed by simple accident prediction models, the same average number of accidents for every entity and accident record only. Consequently, advanced model-based estimates should be used. Furthermore, we demonstrate regional comparisons that benefit substantially from such tools. Comparisons between districts have revealed significant differences. However, comparisons like these produce useful improvement ideas only after taking into account the differences in road characteristics between areas. Estimates on crash modification factors can be transferred from other countries but their benefit is greatly limited if the number of target accidents is not properly predicted. Our experience suggests that making predictions and evaluations using the same principle and tools will remarkably improve the quality and comparability of safety estimations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An integrated conceptual framework for evaluating and improving 'understanding' in informed consent.

Science.gov (United States)

Bossert, Sabine; Strech, Daniel

2017-10-17

The development of understandable informed consent (IC) documents has proven to be one of the most important challenges in research with humans as well as in healthcare settings. Therefore, evaluating and improving understanding has been of increasing interest for empirical research on IC. However, several conceptual and practical challenges for the development of understandable IC documents remain unresolved. In this paper, we will outline and systematize some of these challenges. On the basis of our own experiences in empirical user testing of IC documents as well as the relevant literature on understanding in IC, we propose an integrated conceptual model for the development of understandable IC documents. The proposed conceptual model integrates different methods for the participatory improvement of written information, including IC, as well as quantitative methods for measuring understanding in IC. In most IC processes, understandable written information is an important prerequisite for valid IC. To improve the quality of IC documents, a conceptual model for participatory procedures of testing, revising, and retesting can be applied. However, the model presented in this paper needs further theoretical and empirical elaboration and clarification of several conceptual and practical challenges.

Improving human performance: Industry factors influencing the ability to perform

OpenAIRE

Güera Massyn Romo

2013-01-01

Learning interventions and new technologies that aim to improve human performance must take cognisance of industry factors inhibiting human performance. The dynamic and fast pace nature of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the engineering industries do not lend themselves to proper skills planning and management. These industries experience real skills gaps, to some of which they contribute by themselves. This study reports on these performance-inhibiting factors such a...

Comprehensive evaluation of leukocyte lineage derived from human hematopoietic cells in humanized mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Masayuki; Tsujimura, Noriyuki; Otsuka, Kensuke; Yoshino, Tomoko; Mori, Tetsushi; Matsunaga, Tadashi; Nakasono, Satoshi

2012-04-01

Recently, humanized animals whereby a part of the animal is biologically engineered using human genes or cells have been utilized to overcome interspecific differences. Herein, we analyzed the detail of the differentiation states of various human leukocyte subpopulations in humanized mouse and evaluated comprehensively the similarity of the leukocyte lineage between humanized mice and humans. Humanized mice were established by transplanting human CD34(+) cord blood cells into irradiated severely immunodeficient NOD/Shi-scid/IL2Rγ(null) (NOG) mice, and the phenotypes of human cells contained in bone marrow, thymus, spleen and peripheral blood from the mice were analyzed at monthly intervals until 4 months after cell transplantation. The analysis revealed that transplanted human hematopoietic stem cells via the caudal vein homed and engrafted themselves successfully at the mouse bone marrow. Subsequently, the differentiated leukocytes migrated to the various tissues. Almost all of the leukocytes within the thymus were human cells. Furthermore, analysis of the differentiation states of human leukocytes in various tissues and organs indicated that it is highly likely that the human-like leukocyte lineage can be developed in mice. Copyright © 2011 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reflections and Future Prospects for Evaluation in Human Resource Development

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Heeyoung; Boulay, David

2013-01-01

Human resource development (HRD) evaluation has often been criticized for its limited function in organizational decision making. This article reviews evaluation studies to uncover the current status of HRD evaluation literature. The authors further discuss general evaluation theories in terms of value, use, and evaluator role to extend the…

Evaluation method of human-system interface for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanji, Junichi; Kawai, Jun; Masui, Takao; Ezaki, Ikuko

2000-01-01

We have developed HSI evaluation method based on a model of human cognitive processes in order to provide the viewpoint of the evaluation on the operability of interface. The model describes systematically the human error categories of GEMS by Reason. Based on the model together with reference to the other published information such as NUREG-0700Rev.1, the evaluation items for HSI have embodied in the electronic handbook HIBISCUS. The applicability of HIBISCUS have been assessed by evaluating experimental results using a simulator equipped with control panel using CRTs and touch operations. From the results, the usefulness of the handbook has been confirmed. (author)

Evaluation method of human-system interface for nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tanji, Junichi [Nuclear Power Engineering Corp. (NUPEC), Tokyo (Japan); Kawai, Jun; Masui, Takao; Ezaki, Ikuko [Mitsubishi Research Inst., Tokyo (Japan)

2000-10-01

We have developed HSI evaluation method based on a model of human cognitive processes in order to provide the viewpoint of the evaluation on the operability of interface. The model describes systematically the human error categories of GEMS by Reason. Based on the model together with reference to the other published information such as NUREG-0700Rev.1, the evaluation items for HSI have embodied in the electronic handbook HIBISCUS. The applicability of HIBISCUS have been assessed by evaluating experimental results using a simulator equipped with control panel using CRTs and touch operations. From the results, the usefulness of the handbook has been confirmed. (author)

Warning Signals for Poor Performance Improve Human-Robot Interaction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Brule, Rik; Bijlstra, Gijsbert; Dotsch, Ron; Haselager, Pim; Wigboldus, Daniel HJ

2016-01-01

The present research was aimed at investigating whether human-robot interaction (HRI) can be improved by a robot’s nonverbal warning signals. Ideally, when a robot signals that it cannot guarantee good performance, people could take preventive actions to ensure the successful completion of the

Using human factors engineering to improve the effectiveness of infection prevention and control.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Judith; Gosbee, Laura Lin; Bessesen, Mary; Williams, Linda

2010-08-01

Human factors engineering is a discipline that studies the capabilities and limitations of humans and the design of devices and systems for improved performance. The principles of human factors engineering can be applied to infection prevention and control to study the interaction between the healthcare worker and the system that he or she is working with, including the use of devices, the built environment, and the demands and complexities of patient care. Some key challenges in infection prevention, such as delayed feedback to healthcare workers, high cognitive workload, and poor ergonomic design, are explained, as is how human factors engineering can be used for improvement and increased compliance with practices to prevent hospital-acquired infections.

Human factors evaluation of the engineering test reactor control room

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banks, W.W.; Boone, M.P.

1981-03-01

The Reactor and Process Control Rooms at the Engineering Test Reactor were evaluated by a team of human factors engineers using available human factors design criteria. During the evaluation, ETR, equipment and facilities were compared with MIL-STD-1472-B, Human Engineering design Criteria for Military Systems. The focus of recommendations centered on: (a) displays and controls; placing displays and controls in functional groups; (b) establishing a consistent color coding (in compliance with a standard if possible); (c) systematizing annunciator alarms and reducing their number; (d) organizing equipment in functional groups; and (e) modifying labeling and lines of demarcation

Mentoring approach improves evaluation capacity of ICTD ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2016-06-09

Jun 9, 2016 ... ... initiative is improving evaluation capacities of researchers studying Information and ... Capacity in ICTD (DECI) provides researchers from five IDRC-funded projects in ... Using technology to deliver quality education in Asia.

The safety assessment system based on virtual networked environment for evaluation on the hazards from human errors during decommissioning of nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Kwan Seong; Choi, Byung Seon; Moon, Jei Kwon; Hyun, Dong Jun; Lee, Jong Hwan; Kim, Ik June; Kang, Shin Young; Choi, Jong Won; Ahn, Sang Myeon; Lee, Jung Jun; Lee, Byung Sik

2016-01-01

This paper is intended to suggest a system for evaluation on the hazards from human errors during decommissioning of nuclear facilities. The system was developed under virtual networked environment. The innovative features are real-time changing direction of workers in a scenario and real-time measuring personal exposure dose and collective exposure dose. The system will be expected to be utilized as a training tool for improving familiarization of a workplace and for preventing workers from accidents. - Highlights: • A system for evaluation on the hazards from human errors during decommissioning of nuclear facilities. • Real-time changing direction of workers in a scenario. • Real-time measuring personal exposure dose and collective exposure dose. • A tool for improving familiarization of a workplace and for preventing workers from accidents.

MANAGEMENT OF INNOVATIVE IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE AND HUMAN CAPITAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. H. Usmanova

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Relevance of the chosen subject is caused by the current state and problems of development of a human capital and potential. The existing changes of the current legislation and a tendency of development of a human capital in Russia in developed countries allow to subject to doubt efficiency of planning of economic and social programs in the country. Also relevance of article is caused by the fact that in the conditions of a transitional economy and integration of economy into the world economy many countries create quality of life of the population according to standards and there is a need of revaluation of values regarding development of a human capital in Russia within the world device.In the first part of article the overview of historical aspects of planning of a human capital and the analysis of high budget revenues becomes. In article it is shown that expenses aren't effectively distributed on regional equalization and on social needs, that is on development of a welfare and a human capital and potential in the country.The second part of article describes one of manifestations of the quality level of life, that is the Minimum Wage (MW which is the main indicator for charge of temporary disability benefits, pension accrual, unemployment benefits, etc.The third part of article reflects the directions of development of innovative management: improvement of quality of life and a human capital where emphasis on need of preparation intellectual the oriented specialists is placed.The purpose/goal .The purpose of article is disclosure, comparison of features, and also determinations of criteria of management of innovative development of quality of life and a human capital in the Russian Federation.Methodology. The methodology of the solution of objectives is based on use of a method of a dialectic research, methods of the economic analysis, forecasting, the situation and system analysis, expert evaluations and the analysis of empirical data

Towards an IMU Evaluation Framework for Human Body Tracking.

Science.gov (United States)

Venek, Verena; Kremser, Wolfgang; Schneider, Cornelia

2018-01-01

Existing full-body tracking systems, which use Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) as sensing unit, require expert knowledge for setup and data collection. Thus, the daily application for human body tracking is difficult. In particular, in the field of active and assisted living (AAL), tracking human movements would enable novel insights not only into the quantity but also into the quality of human movement, for example by monitoring functional training. While the current market offers a wide range of products with vastly different properties, literature lacks guidelines for choosing IMUs for body tracking applications. Therefore, this paper introduces developments towards an IMU evaluation framework for human body tracking which compares IMUs against five requirement areas that consider device features and data quality. The data quality is assessed by conducting a static and a dynamic error analysis. In a first application to four IMUs of different component consumption, the IMU evaluation framework convinced as promising tool for IMU selection.

Improved human tenocyte proliferation and differentiation in vitro by optimized silk degumming

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Xiao; Qiu Yiwei; Carr, Andrew J; Triffitt, James T; Sabokbar, Afsie; Xia Zhidao, E-mail: z.xia@swansea.ac.uk [Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford (United Kingdom)

2011-06-15

Tendon disorders are common clinical conditions. Tendon tissue engineering provides a new approach for tendon repair by integrating engineered substitutes with their native counterparts. Silk is considered to be a promising candidate for tendon engineering because of its biological and mechanical properties. However, a major concern with using silk for biomedical applications is the immune responses generated by sericin, a glue-like protein that coats the silk fibres. This study improves the existing protocols for silk 'degumming' which removes sericin and enables preparation of silk that is suitable for tendon regeneration. Bombyx mori silks were treated by sequential treatments with different proteases. The efficiency of degumming was determined by measuring weight loss, picric acid and carmine staining and scanning electron microscopy. To evaluate the cellular responses after degumming, the growth and differentiation of human tenocytes on silks were examined. The results showed that sequential protease treatment effectively degummed raw silks. The sequentially degummed silks showed enhanced tenocyte proliferation and upregulated mRNA levels of tendon markers. Thick cell multilayers formed on the treated silks, with cells and collagen fibres penetrating into the spaces in individual silk filaments, resulting in a structure resembling human tendon.

Improved human tenocyte proliferation and differentiation in vitro by optimized silk degumming

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiao, Wang; Yiwei, Qiu; Carr, Andrew J; Triffitt, James T; Sabokbar, Afsie; Xia Zhidao, E-mail: z.xia@swansea.ac.uk [Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford (United Kingdom)

2011-06-15

Tendon disorders are common clinical conditions. Tendon tissue engineering provides a new approach for tendon repair by integrating engineered substitutes with their native counterparts. Silk is considered to be a promising candidate for tendon engineering because of its biological and mechanical properties. However, a major concern with using silk for biomedical applications is the immune responses generated by sericin, a glue-like protein that coats the silk fibres. This study improves the existing protocols for silk 'degumming' which removes sericin and enables preparation of silk that is suitable for tendon regeneration. Bombyx mori silks were treated by sequential treatments with different proteases. The efficiency of degumming was determined by measuring weight loss, picric acid and carmine staining and scanning electron microscopy. To evaluate the cellular responses after degumming, the growth and differentiation of human tenocytes on silks were examined. The results showed that sequential protease treatment effectively degummed raw silks. The sequentially degummed silks showed enhanced tenocyte proliferation and upregulated mRNA levels of tendon markers. Thick cell multilayers formed on the treated silks, with cells and collagen fibres penetrating into the spaces in individual silk filaments, resulting in a structure resembling human tendon.

Adapting Job Analysis Methodology to Improve Evaluation Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, Susan M.; Curtin, Patrick

2006-01-01

This article describes how job analysis, a method commonly used in personnel research and organizational psychology, provides a systematic method for documenting program staffing and service delivery that can improve evaluators' knowledge about program operations. Job analysis data can be used to increase evaluators' insight into how staffs…

Mathematical Modeling and Evaluation of Human Motions in Physical Therapy Using Mixture Density Neural Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Vakanski, A; Ferguson, J M; Lee, S

2016-12-01

The objective of the proposed research is to develop a methodology for modeling and evaluation of human motions, which will potentially benefit patients undertaking a physical rehabilitation therapy (e.g., following a stroke or due to other medical conditions). The ultimate aim is to allow patients to perform home-based rehabilitation exercises using a sensory system for capturing the motions, where an algorithm will retrieve the trajectories of a patient's exercises, will perform data analysis by comparing the performed motions to a reference model of prescribed motions, and will send the analysis results to the patient's physician with recommendations for improvement. The modeling approach employs an artificial neural network, consisting of layers of recurrent neuron units and layers of neuron units for estimating a mixture density function over the spatio-temporal dependencies within the human motion sequences. Input data are sequences of motions related to a prescribed exercise by a physiotherapist to a patient, and recorded with a motion capture system. An autoencoder subnet is employed for reducing the dimensionality of captured sequences of human motions, complemented with a mixture density subnet for probabilistic modeling of the motion data using a mixture of Gaussian distributions. The proposed neural network architecture produced a model for sets of human motions represented with a mixture of Gaussian density functions. The mean log-likelihood of observed sequences was employed as a performance metric in evaluating the consistency of a subject's performance relative to the reference dataset of motions. A publically available dataset of human motions captured with Microsoft Kinect was used for validation of the proposed method. The article presents a novel approach for modeling and evaluation of human motions with a potential application in home-based physical therapy and rehabilitation. The described approach employs the recent progress in the field of

Evaluation of use of human albumin in critically ill dogs: 73 cases (2003-2006).

Science.gov (United States)

Trow, Amy V; Rozanski, Elizabeth A; Delaforcade, Armelle M; Chan, Daniel L

2008-08-15

To evaluate the use of human albumin in critically ill dogs. Design-Retrospective case series. 73 client-owned hospitalized dogs. Medical records of dogs that received human albumin were reviewed to assess effects of the use of human albumin on serum albumin concentration, colloid osmotic pressure, and total protein concentration; determine the relationships between these variables and outcome; and assess its safety. Data for signalment, diagnoses, physiologic variables, dosage, amount of crystalloid fluid administered prior to human albumin administration, complications, and outcome were reviewed. Additionally, pre- and postadministration values for serum albumin, colloid osmotic pressure, and total protein were recorded. Administration of human albumin resulted in significant changes in serum albumin, colloid osmotic pressure, and total protein. The serum albumin, total protein, degree of improvement in serum albumin, colloid osmotic pressure, and dosage of human albumin were significantly greater in survivors. Seventeen of 73 (23%) dogs had at least 1 complication that could be potentially associated with the administration of human albumin that occurred during or immediately following administration of human albumin. Three of 73 (4%) dogs had severe delayed complications. Administration of human albumin significantly increased serum albumin, and total protein concentrations and colloid osmotic pressure, especially in survivors. Because of the high mortality rate of the study population and other confounding factors, it was uncertain whether complications were associated with the underlying disease or with human albumin administration. Acute and delayed complications may have been under-recognized.

Improving the Status of Human and Material Resources in Public ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Improving the Status of Human and Material Resources in Public Primary School in Oyo States ... the Millennium Development Goals project in the State. ... libraries, well-equipped first aid centres, adequate electronically projected instructional ...

An Empirical Study on Low-Carbon: Human Resources Performance Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Quan Chen

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Low-carbon logistics meets the requirements of a low-carbon economy and is the most effective operating model for logistic development to achieve sustainability by coping with severe energy consumption and global warming. Low-carbon logistics aims to reduce carbon intensity rather than simply reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. Human resources are an important part of the great competition in the logistics market and significantly affect the operations of enterprises. Performance evaluations of human resources are particularly important for low-carbon logistics enterprises with scarce talents. Such evaluations in these enterprises are of great significance for their strategic development. This study constructed a human resource performance evaluation system to assess non-managerial employees’ low-carbon job capacity, job performance, and job attitude in the low-carbon logistics sector. The case study results revealed that the investigated company enjoyed initial success after having promoted low-carbon concepts and values to its non-managerial employees, and the success was demonstrated by excellent performance in its employees’ job attitude and knowledge. This study adopts the AHP method to reasonably determine an indicator system of performance evaluation and its weight to avoid certain human-caused bias. This study not only fills the gap in the related literature, but can also be applied to industrial practice.

An Empirical Study on Low-Carbon: Human Resources Performance Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Quan; Tsai, Sang-Bing; Zhou, Jie; Yu, Jian; Chang, Li-Chung; Li, Guodong; Zheng, Yuxiang; Wang, Jiangtao

2018-01-01

Low-carbon logistics meets the requirements of a low-carbon economy and is the most effective operating model for logistic development to achieve sustainability by coping with severe energy consumption and global warming. Low-carbon logistics aims to reduce carbon intensity rather than simply reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. Human resources are an important part of the great competition in the logistics market and significantly affect the operations of enterprises. Performance evaluations of human resources are particularly important for low-carbon logistics enterprises with scarce talents. Such evaluations in these enterprises are of great significance for their strategic development. This study constructed a human resource performance evaluation system to assess non-managerial employees’ low-carbon job capacity, job performance, and job attitude in the low-carbon logistics sector. The case study results revealed that the investigated company enjoyed initial success after having promoted low-carbon concepts and values to its non-managerial employees, and the success was demonstrated by excellent performance in its employees’ job attitude and knowledge. This study adopts the AHP method to reasonably determine an indicator system of performance evaluation and its weight to avoid certain human-caused bias. This study not only fills the gap in the related literature, but can also be applied to industrial practice. PMID:29301375

An Empirical Study on Low-Carbon: Human Resources Performance Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Quan; Tsai, Sang-Bing; Zhai, Yuming; Zhou, Jie; Yu, Jian; Chang, Li-Chung; Li, Guodong; Zheng, Yuxiang; Wang, Jiangtao

2018-01-03

Low-carbon logistics meets the requirements of a low-carbon economy and is the most effective operating model for logistic development to achieve sustainability by coping with severe energy consumption and global warming. Low-carbon logistics aims to reduce carbon intensity rather than simply reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. Human resources are an important part of the great competition in the logistics market and significantly affect the operations of enterprises. Performance evaluations of human resources are particularly important for low-carbon logistics enterprises with scarce talents. Such evaluations in these enterprises are of great significance for their strategic development. This study constructed a human resource performance evaluation system to assess non-managerial employees' low-carbon job capacity, job performance, and job attitude in the low-carbon logistics sector. The case study results revealed that the investigated company enjoyed initial success after having promoted low-carbon concepts and values to its non-managerial employees, and the success was demonstrated by excellent performance in its employees' job attitude and knowledge. This study adopts the AHP method to reasonably determine an indicator system of performance evaluation and its weight to avoid certain human-caused bias. This study not only fills the gap in the related literature, but can also be applied to industrial practice.

Improving the Process of Student Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriela Neacşu

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper we analyzed the process of student evaluation from “Spiru Haret” University. The process under consideration occurs according to a specific Procedure – Process of student evaluation from the Manual of Quality Assurance Procedures, “Spiru Haret” University, Edition 1, 2012. The goal of this procedure, mentioned in the Manual, is to present the student evaluation procedure by using the Blackboard educational platform and other evaluation techniques of quality learning, based on materials developed by teachers of “Spiru Haret” University, as well as corresponding responsibilities, in order to increase the learning process quality and the exigency degree in the examination process, as well as students’ satisfaction measured by accumulated competences. We appreciate that the purpose of this procedure is first and foremost to ensure transparency and objectivity in exam passing decision. After identifying the weaknesses with the “cause - effect” chart, we have sought to improve student evaluation process using PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act method, resulting in the design of a new assessment flowchart.

Improving Vector Evaluated Particle Swarm Optimisation by incorporating nondominated solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Kian Sheng; Ibrahim, Zuwairie; Buyamin, Salinda; Ahmad, Anita; Naim, Faradila; Ghazali, Kamarul Hawari; Mokhtar, Norrima

2013-01-01

The Vector Evaluated Particle Swarm Optimisation algorithm is widely used to solve multiobjective optimisation problems. This algorithm optimises one objective using a swarm of particles where their movements are guided by the best solution found by another swarm. However, the best solution of a swarm is only updated when a newly generated solution has better fitness than the best solution at the objective function optimised by that swarm, yielding poor solutions for the multiobjective optimisation problems. Thus, an improved Vector Evaluated Particle Swarm Optimisation algorithm is introduced by incorporating the nondominated solutions as the guidance for a swarm rather than using the best solution from another swarm. In this paper, the performance of improved Vector Evaluated Particle Swarm Optimisation algorithm is investigated using performance measures such as the number of nondominated solutions found, the generational distance, the spread, and the hypervolume. The results suggest that the improved Vector Evaluated Particle Swarm Optimisation algorithm has impressive performance compared with the conventional Vector Evaluated Particle Swarm Optimisation algorithm.

Tactile Evaluation Feedback System for Multi-Layered Structure Inspired by Human Tactile Perception Mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Hashim, Iza Husna Mohamad; Kumamoto, Shogo; Takemura, Kenjiro; Maeno, Takashi; Okuda, Shin; Mori, Yukio

2017-11-11

Tactile sensation is one type of valuable feedback in evaluating a product. Conventionally, sensory evaluation is used to get direct subjective responses from the consumers, in order to improve the product's quality. However, this method is a time-consuming and costly process. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel tactile evaluation system that can give tactile feedback from a sensor's output. The main concept of this system is hierarchically layering the tactile sensation, which is inspired by the flow of human perception. The tactile sensation is classified from low-order of tactile sensation (LTS) to high-order of tactile sensation (HTS), and also to preference. Here, LTS will be correlated with physical measures. Furthermore, the physical measures that are used to correlate with LTS are selected based on four main aspects of haptic information (roughness, compliance, coldness, and slipperiness), which are perceived through human tactile sensors. By using statistical analysis, the correlation between each hierarchy was obtained, and the preference was derived in terms of physical measures. A verification test was conducted by using unknown samples to determine the reliability of the system. The results showed that the system developed was capable of estimating preference with an accuracy of approximately 80%.

Tactile Evaluation Feedback System for Multi-Layered Structure Inspired by Human Tactile Perception Mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iza Husna Mohamad Hashim

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Tactile sensation is one type of valuable feedback in evaluating a product. Conventionally, sensory evaluation is used to get direct subjective responses from the consumers, in order to improve the product’s quality. However, this method is a time-consuming and costly process. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel tactile evaluation system that can give tactile feedback from a sensor’s output. The main concept of this system is hierarchically layering the tactile sensation, which is inspired by the flow of human perception. The tactile sensation is classified from low-order of tactile sensation (LTS to high-order of tactile sensation (HTS, and also to preference. Here, LTS will be correlated with physical measures. Furthermore, the physical measures that are used to correlate with LTS are selected based on four main aspects of haptic information (roughness, compliance, coldness, and slipperiness, which are perceived through human tactile sensors. By using statistical analysis, the correlation between each hierarchy was obtained, and the preference was derived in terms of physical measures. A verification test was conducted by using unknown samples to determine the reliability of the system. The results showed that the system developed was capable of estimating preference with an accuracy of approximately 80%.

The Role of Evaluation in the School Improvement Process

Science.gov (United States)

Lindahl, Ronald A.; Beach, Robert H.

2013-01-01

Although evaluation serves many purposes in education, there is virtually unanimous agreement that evaluation is a critical component of all school improvement processes. Hamilton et al. (2003) asserted that "assessment and evaluation should be built into reform programs from the outset" (p. 26). Kimball, Lander, and Thorn (2010)…

Applying Human Factors Evaluation and Design Guidance to a Nuclear Power Plant Digital Control System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomas Ulrich; Ronald Boring; William Phoenix; Emily Dehority; Tim Whiting; Jonathan Morrell; Rhett Backstrom

2012-08-01

The United States (U.S.) nuclear industry, like similar process control industries, has moved toward upgrading its control rooms. The upgraded control rooms typically feature digital control system (DCS) displays embedded in the panels. These displays gather information from the system and represent that information on a single display surface. In this manner, the DCS combines many previously separate analog indicators and controls into a single digital display, whereby the operators can toggle between multiple windows to monitor and control different aspects of the plant. The design of the DCS depends on the function of the system it monitors, but revolves around presenting the information most germane to an operator at any point in time. DCSs require a carefully designed human system interface. This report centers on redesigning existing DCS displays for an example chemical volume control system (CVCS) at a U.S. nuclear power plant. The crucial nature of the CVCS, which controls coolant levels and boration in the primary system, requires a thorough human factors evaluation of its supporting DCS. The initial digital controls being developed for the DCSs tend to directly mimic the former analog controls. There are, however, unique operator interactions with a digital vs. analog interface, and the differences have not always been carefully factored in the translation of an analog interface to a replacement DCS. To ensure safety, efficiency, and usability of the emerging DCSs, a human factors usability evaluation was conducted on a CVCS DCS currently being used and refined at an existing U.S. nuclear power plant. Subject matter experts from process control engineering, software development, and human factors evaluated the DCS displays to document potential usability issues and propose design recommendations. The evaluation yielded 167 potential usability issues with the DCS. These issues should not be considered operator performance problems but rather opportunities

Evaluation of Human Performance Issues for Fire Risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bley, Dennis C.; Cooper, Susan E.; Forester, John A.; Kolaczkowski, Alan M.; Ramey-Smith, Ann; Thompson, Catherine M.; Whitehead, Donnie W.; Wreathall, John

1999-01-01

This paper summarizes the current status of the treatment of human reliability in fire risk analyses for nuclear power plants and identifies areas that need to be addressed. A new approach is suggested to improve the modeling

Quality of care in reproductive health programmes: monitoring and evaluation of quality improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwast, B E

1998-12-01

As 200 million women become pregnant every year, at least 30 million will develop life-threatening complications requiring emergency treatment at any level of society where they live. But it is a basic human right that pregnancy be made safe for all women as complications are mostly unpredictable. This requires reproductive health programmes which are responsive to women's and their families' needs and expectations on the one hand and enhancement of community participation, high quality obstetric services, and both provider collaboration and satisfaction on the other. Monitoring and evaluation of these facets need to be an integral part of any safe motherhood programme, not only to assess progress, but also to use this information for subsequent planning and implementation cycles of national programmes. Lessons learned from ten years' implementation of Safe Motherhood programmes indicate that process and outcome indicators are more feasible for short-term evaluation purposes than impact indicators, such as maternal mortality reduction. The former are described in this paper with relevant country examples. This is the third, and last, article in a series on quality of care in reproductive health programmes. The first (Kwast 1998a) contains an overview of concepts, assessments, barriers and improvements of quality of care. The second (Kwast 1998b) addresses education issues for quality improvement.

Promoting Instructional Improvement: A Strategic Human Resource Management Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Smylie, Mark A.; Wenzel, Stacy A.

2006-01-01

This report argues that instructional improvement, which goes hand-in-hand with efforts at education reform, can be promoted through the strategic use of human resource management (HRM) practices at the school, district, and state levels. The authors present information from the organizational and management literatures on how firms in several…

Human Resources and Innovative Behaviour : Improving Nursing Performance

OpenAIRE

Xerri, Matthew; Reid, Stuart

2017-01-01

This study examines, using the social exchange theory, the mediating effect of employees’ perception of wellbeing on the relationship between two human resource (HR) management factors (satisfaction with teamwork and satisfaction with training opportunities) and innovative behaviour of nurses working in Australian public and private hospitals. Current nurse shortages and limited budgets have increased the need for hospitals to improve their efficiency and cost-effectiveness. It is proposed th...

INTEGRATION MECHANISMS OF IMPROVEMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vera A. Akimenko

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In the current economic conditions, the efficiency of business processes of an organization is determined by the quality of the staff. Therefore, actual is the creation and application of new approaches to the management of human re-sources. The article presents a comparative analysis of management practices and their impact on the effectiveness of personnel management, the mechanism of their integration to improve the efficiency of the process.

Improvement of test methodology for evaluating diesel fuel stability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gutman, M.; Tartakovsky, L.; Kirzhner, Y.; Zvirin, Y. [Internal Combustion Engines Lab., Haifa (Israel); Luria, D. [Fuel Authority, Tel Aviv (Israel); Weiss, A.; Shuftan, M. [Israel Defence Forces, Tel Aviv (Israel)

1995-05-01

The storage stability of diesel fuel has been extensively investigated for many years under laboratory conditions. Although continuous efforts have been made to improve testing techniques, there does not yet exist a generally accepted correlation between laboratory methods (such as chemical analysis of the fuel) and actual diesel engine tests. A testing method was developed by the Technion Internal Combustion Engines Laboratory (TICEL), in order to address this problem. The test procedure was designed to simulate diesel engine operation under field conditions. It is based on running a laboratory-modified single cylinder diesel engine for 50 h under cycling operating conditions. The overall rating of each test is based on individual evaluation of the deposits and residue formation in the fuel filter, nozzle body and needle, piston head, piston rings, exhaust valve, and combustion chamber (six parameters). Two methods for analyzing the test results were used: objective, based on measured data, and subjective, based on visual evaluation results of these deposits by a group of experts. Only the residual level in the fuel filter was evaluated quantitatively by measured results. In order to achieve higher accuracy of the method, the test procedure was improved by introducing the measured results of nozzle fouling as an additional objective evaluating (seventh) parameter. This factor is evaluated on the basis of the change in the air flow rate through the nozzle before and after the complete engine test. Other improvements in the method include the use of the nozzle assembly photograph in the test evaluation, and representation of all seven parameters on a continuous scale instead of the discrete scale used anteriorly, in order to achieve higher accuracy. This paper also contains the results obtained by application of this improved fuel stability test for a diesel fuel stored for a five-year period.

Analysis on nuclear power plant control room system design and improvement based on human factor engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Feng; Liu Yanzi; Sun Yongbin

2014-01-01

The design of nuclear power plant control room system is a process of improvement with the implementation of human factor engineering theory and guidance. The method of implementation human factor engineering principles into the nuclear power plant control room system design and improvement was discussed in this paper. It is recommended that comprehensive address should be done from control room system function, human machine interface, digital procedure, control room layout and environment design based on the human factor engineering theory and experience. The main issues which should be paid more attention during the control room system design and improvement also were addressed in this paper, and then advices and notices for the design and improvement of the nuclear power plant control room system were afforded. (authors)

Development and evaluation of a computer-aided system for analyzing human error in railway operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dong San; Baek, Dong Hyun; Yoon, Wan Chul

2010-01-01

As human error has been recognized as one of the major contributors to accidents in safety-critical systems, there has been a strong need for techniques that can analyze human error effectively. Although many techniques have been developed so far, much room for improvement remains. As human error analysis is a cognitively demanding and time-consuming task, it is particularly necessary to develop a computerized system supporting this task. This paper presents a computer-aided system for analyzing human error in railway operations, called Computer-Aided System for Human Error Analysis and Reduction (CAS-HEAR). It supports analysts to find multiple levels of error causes and their causal relations by using predefined links between contextual factors and causal factors as well as links between causal factors. In addition, it is based on a complete accident model; hence, it helps analysts to conduct a thorough analysis without missing any important part of human error analysis. A prototype of CAS-HEAR was evaluated by nine field investigators from six railway organizations in Korea. Its overall usefulness in human error analysis was confirmed, although development of its simplified version and some modification of the contextual factors and causal factors are required in order to ensure its practical use.

A human factors evaluation of advanced control facilities in Korea Next Generation Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byun, Seong Nam; Lee, Dong Hoon; Chung, Sung Hak; Kim, Dong Nam; Hwang, Sang Ho

2001-07-01

The objectives of this study are as follows: to evaluate the impacts of advanced MMIs on operator performance; to identify new types of human errors; to present Human Factors Engineering (HFE) issues to support the safety reviews performed by the Korea Institute for Nuclear Safety. General trends in the performance measures of cognitive task demand, mental workload, and situation awareness were analyzed. The results showed that the conventional plant was superior to KNGR on the operator performance. The results of the questionnaire revealed that WDS was the most frequently used MMI resource, followed by CPS, LDP, SC, and AS. The evaluation of operator's satisfaction showed that WDS was the most satisfactory resource, followed by LDP, SC, CPS', and AS, AS was rated as the most worst resource due to inappropriate functional organization and lack of operator's visibility. Stepwise regression analyses showed that human errors of SRO and RO were mainly dominated by the cognitive behavior of 'interpretation' with WDS, while the cognitive behavior of TO was mainly dominated by 'observation' with WDS and AS. The ten HFE issues for the KNGR MCR were presented to address important design deficiencies identified in this study. The issues should be resolved to improve safety of KNGR at least up to the level of the conventional NPPs. Verification and validation activities after implementing those resolutions should be also performed to reach optimal plant safety and other operational goals

A human factors evaluation of advanced control facilities in Korea Next Generation Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byun, Seong Nam; Lee, Dong Hoon; Chung, Sung Hak; Kim, Dong Nam; Hwang, Sang Ho [Kyunghee Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2001-07-15

The objectives of this study are as follows: to evaluate the impacts of advanced MMIs on operator performance; to identify new types of human errors; to present Human Factors Engineering (HFE) issues to support the safety reviews performed by the Korea Institute for Nuclear Safety. General trends in the performance measures of cognitive task demand, mental workload, and situation awareness were analyzed. The results showed that the conventional plant was superior to KNGR on the operator performance. The results of the questionnaire revealed that WDS was the most frequently used MMI resource, followed by CPS, LDP, SC, and AS. The evaluation of operator's satisfaction showed that WDS was the most satisfactory resource, followed by LDP, SC, CPS', and AS, AS was rated as the most worst resource due to inappropriate functional organization and lack of operator's visibility. Stepwise regression analyses showed that human errors of SRO and RO were mainly dominated by the cognitive behavior of 'interpretation' with WDS, while the cognitive behavior of TO was mainly dominated by 'observation' with WDS and AS. The ten HFE issues for the KNGR MCR were presented to address important design deficiencies identified in this study. The issues should be resolved to improve safety of KNGR at least up to the level of the conventional NPPs. Verification and validation activities after implementing those resolutions should be also performed to reach optimal plant safety and other operational goals.

Human factors interventions to reduce human errors and improve productivity in maintenance tasks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isoda, Hachiro; Yasutake, J.Y.

1992-01-01

This paper describes work in progress to develop interventions to reduce human errors and increase maintenance productivity in nuclear power plants. The effort is part of a two-phased Human Factors research program being conducted jointly by the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI) in Japan and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in the United States. The overall objective of this joint research program is to identify critical maintenance tasks and to develop, implement and evaluate interventions which have high potential for reducing human errors or increasing maintenance productivity. As a result of the Phase 1 effort, ten critical maintenance tasks were identified. For these tasks, over 25 candidate interventions were identified for potential development. After careful analysis, seven interventions were selected for development during Phase 2. This paper describes the methodology used to analyze and identify the most critical tasks, the process of identifying and developing selected interventions and some of the initial results. (author)

Development of a Human Performance Evaluation Support System for Human Factors Validation of MCR MMI Design in APR-1400

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ha, Jun Su; Seong, Poong Hyun

2005-01-01

As CRT-based display and advanced information technology were applied to advanced reactors such as APR-1400 (Advanced Power Reactor-1400), human operators' tasks became more cognitive works. As a results, Human Factors Engineering (HFE) became more important in designing the MCR (Main Control Room) MMI (Man-Machine Interface) of an advanced reactor. According to the Human Factors Engineering Program Review Model, human factors validation of MCR MMI design should be performed through performance-based tests to determine whether it acceptably supports safe operation of the plant. In order to support the evaluation of the performance, a HUman Performance Evaluation Support System (HUPESS) is in development

Instructional scaffolding to improve students' skills in evaluating clinical literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Dawn, Stefani; Dominguez, Karen D; Troutman, William G; Bond, Rucha; Cone, Catherine

2011-05-10

To implement and assess the effectiveness of an activity to teach pharmacy students to critically evaluate clinical literature using instructional scaffolding and a Clinical Trial Evaluation Rubric. The literature evaluation activity centered on a single clinical research article and involved individual, small group, and large group instruction, with carefully structured, evidence-based scaffolds and support materials centered around 3 educational themes: (1) the reader's awareness of text organization, (2) contextual/background information and vocabulary, and (3) questioning, prompting, and self-monitoring (metacognition). Students initially read the article, scored it using the rubric, and wrote an evaluation. Students then worked individually using a worksheet to identify and define 4 to 5 vocabulary/concept knowledge gaps. They then worked in small groups and as a class to further improve their skills. Finally, they assessed the same article using the rubric and writing a second evaluation. Students' rubric scores for the article decreased significantly from a mean pre-activity score of 76.7% to a post-activity score of 61.7%, indicating that their skills in identifying weaknesses in the article's study design had improved. Use of instructional scaffolding in the form of vocabulary supports and the Clinical Trial Evaluation Rubric improved students' ability to critically evaluate a clinical study compared to lecture-based coursework alone.

Improving Vector Evaluated Particle Swarm Optimisation by Incorporating Nondominated Solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kian Sheng Lim

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The Vector Evaluated Particle Swarm Optimisation algorithm is widely used to solve multiobjective optimisation problems. This algorithm optimises one objective using a swarm of particles where their movements are guided by the best solution found by another swarm. However, the best solution of a swarm is only updated when a newly generated solution has better fitness than the best solution at the objective function optimised by that swarm, yielding poor solutions for the multiobjective optimisation problems. Thus, an improved Vector Evaluated Particle Swarm Optimisation algorithm is introduced by incorporating the nondominated solutions as the guidance for a swarm rather than using the best solution from another swarm. In this paper, the performance of improved Vector Evaluated Particle Swarm Optimisation algorithm is investigated using performance measures such as the number of nondominated solutions found, the generational distance, the spread, and the hypervolume. The results suggest that the improved Vector Evaluated Particle Swarm Optimisation algorithm has impressive performance compared with the conventional Vector Evaluated Particle Swarm Optimisation algorithm.

Improvement of hydration and epidermal barrier function in human skin by a novel compound isosorbide dicaprylate.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaudhuri, R K; Bojanowski, K

2017-10-01

The study involved the synthesis of a novel derivative of caprylic acid - isosorbide dicaprylate (IDC) - and the evaluation of its potential in improving water homoeostasis and epidermal barrier function in human skin. The effect of IDC on gene expression was assayed in skin organotypic cultures by DNA microarrays. The results were then confirmed for a few key genes by quantitative PCR, immuno- and cytochemistry. Final validation of skin hydration properties was obtained by four separate clinical studies. Level of hydration was measured by corneometer either by using 2% IDC lotion alone vs placebo or in combination with 2% glycerol lotion vs 2% glycerol only. A direct comparison in skin hydration between 2% IDC and 2% glycerol lotions was also carried out. The epidermal barrier function improvement was assessed by determining changes in transepidermal water loss (TEWL) on the arms before and after treatment with 2% IDC lotion versus placebo. IDC was found to upregulate the expression of AQP3, CD44 and proteins involved in keratinocyte differentiation as well as the formation and function of stratum corneum. A direct comparison between 2% IDC versus 2% glycerol lotions revealed a three-fold advantage of IDC in providing skin hydration. Severely dry skin treated with 2% IDC in combination with 2% glycerol showed 133% improvement, whereas 35% improvement was observed with moderately dry human skin. Topical isosorbide dicaprylate favourably modulates genes involved in the maintenance of skin structure and function, resulting in superior clinical outcomes. By improving skin hydration and epidermal permeability barrier, it offers therapeutic applications in skin ageing. © 2017 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Française de Cosmétologie.

NOTION, ELEMENTS AND EVALUATION OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGMENT IN SPORT

OpenAIRE

Milorad M. Drobac; Milica Radović

2009-01-01

Principal object of the author’s research in work is identification of notion, cru- cial elements and evaluation of human resources management in general and apart in sport. From the beginning of usage of term “human resources management”, we use foretoken “strategic” that has especially signified meaning. Strategic approach to the exploration of this problem points to the fact that human resources are from particularly significance for all forms of human organization (firms, associations, in...

Computational and human observer image quality evaluation of low dose, knowledge-based CT iterative reconstruction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eck, Brendan L.; Fahmi, Rachid; Miao, Jun [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 (United States); Brown, Kevin M.; Zabic, Stanislav; Raihani, Nilgoun [Philips Healthcare, Cleveland, Ohio 44143 (United States); Wilson, David L., E-mail: dlw@case.edu [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 and Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 (United States)

2015-10-15

Purpose: Aims in this study are to (1) develop a computational model observer which reliably tracks the detectability of human observers in low dose computed tomography (CT) images reconstructed with knowledge-based iterative reconstruction (IMR™, Philips Healthcare) and filtered back projection (FBP) across a range of independent variables, (2) use the model to evaluate detectability trends across reconstructions and make predictions of human observer detectability, and (3) perform human observer studies based on model predictions to demonstrate applications of the model in CT imaging. Methods: Detectability (d′) was evaluated in phantom studies across a range of conditions. Images were generated using a numerical CT simulator. Trained observers performed 4-alternative forced choice (4-AFC) experiments across dose (1.3, 2.7, 4.0 mGy), pin size (4, 6, 8 mm), contrast (0.3%, 0.5%, 1.0%), and reconstruction (FBP, IMR), at fixed display window. A five-channel Laguerre–Gauss channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) was developed with internal noise added to the decision variable and/or to channel outputs, creating six different internal noise models. Semianalytic internal noise computation was tested against Monte Carlo and used to accelerate internal noise parameter optimization. Model parameters were estimated from all experiments at once using maximum likelihood on the probability correct, P{sub C}. Akaike information criterion (AIC) was used to compare models of different orders. The best model was selected according to AIC and used to predict detectability in blended FBP-IMR images, analyze trends in IMR detectability improvements, and predict dose savings with IMR. Predicted dose savings were compared against 4-AFC study results using physical CT phantom images. Results: Detection in IMR was greater than FBP in all tested conditions. The CHO with internal noise proportional to channel output standard deviations, Model-k4, showed the best trade-off between fit

Human factors engineering evaluation of the UTR-10 Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lahti, D.; Nilius, D.; Heithoff, D.; Roche, G.; Sage, S.

1982-01-01

This paper is a description of a student design team's review and evaluation of Iowa State University's University Test Reactor (UTR-10). The review was based on how well the control room of the UTR-10 measured up to selected portions of NUREG-0800, chapter 18, Human Factor Engineering/Standard Review Plan Development. The review was conducted by inspecting the reactor and interviewing reactor operators. The control room workspace, instrumentation controls and other equipment were evaluated from a human factors engineering point of view that takes into account both system demands and operator capabilities. Identification, assessment, and suggestion for control room design modifications that correct inadequate or unsuitable items was made

Human-system interface evaluation system for advanced control room based on SQL database

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yan; Zhou Zhiwei; Bian Zhiqiang; Xu Li

2005-01-01

User Interface (UI) plays an important role in the advanced control room (ACR) of a nuclear power plant (NPP). In this paper, we present a rule-based ACR Human-system Interface Evaluation System (AHSIES) using expert system technology, which can evaluate UI design shortcomings, propose modification suggestions, and help designer improve the ACR interface design. AHSIES consists of four programs: the UI Editor, the Operation Procedure Manager, the Operation Simulator and the UI Design Evaluator. These four parts respectively function for: editing a set of UI icons employed as the operation screens of an advanced control room; for editing operation procedures aiming at any specified operation with simple language; for simulate the operation sequences dynamically and recording the relevant information for design performance of the UIs; and for evaluating both static and dynamic performance of the ACR UI design according to well established design guidelines and criteria with the information gained from the first three programs. Microsoft SQL Server 2000 DBMS is adopted to manage the voluminous data and its complex relationships. The preliminary test application of AHSIES for a simplified ACR UI design of a PWR NPP has shown that the expert evaluation system is capable of achieving satisfactory evaluation results. (authors)

Development of simulation-based evaluation system for iterative design of HMI to reduce human workload of operating crew in nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fumizawa, Motoo; Kameda, Akiyuki; Nakagawa, Takashi; Wu, Wei; Yoshikawa, Hidekazu

2001-01-01

Human workload is one of the key factors to reduce the human error during the operation in the commercialized nuclear power plants (NPP). In order to produce a high quality design of human machine interface (HMI), the evaluation and simulation method was developed to analyze operator's workload, where the model of operator crew was adopted on the basis of the model proposed by Reason. The workload such as length of the eye movement and moving length of the operators were visualized in the CRT image as well as the movie-file during the simulation. The developed computer code system was named simulation-based evaluation and analysis support system for man-machine interface design (SEAMAID), which was a simulation-based evaluation and analysis support system for man-machine interface design in the domain of NPP. The SEAMAID simulates the interaction between the operating crew and HMI, thus supports to evaluate the HMI by using the simulation results. The case study was conducted to evaluate the conventional central control room design. As a consequence, the authors were confirmed that SEAMAID was a useful tool to improve HMI design evaluating the workload data among several iterative design. (author)

Evaluation of barriers and resilience to improve organizational performance in nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nelson, P. F.; Martin del Campo, C., E-mail: pnelson_007@yahoo.com [UNAM, Facultad de Ingenieria, Departamento de Sistemas Energeticos, Paseo Cuauhnahuac 8532, Jiutepec 62550, Morelos (Mexico)

2014-10-15

In this study, several models are built from the information contained in the Condition Reports from the Corrective Action Program ar a nuclear power plant. Condition Reports are seen as indications of organizational stress levels with consequential Condition Reports being further evidence of organizational resilience being exceeded. Also contained in this paper is an examination of methods used to assess organizational resilience thresholds to preclude consequential events, based on examination of the number and severity of the Condition Reports. In combination with PSA risk insights, it is possible to identify risk significant procedures and their corresponding risk significant steps. Leading indicators can be used to identify the need for installing a barrier or defense to reduce human errors in a nuclear power plant. These indicators are developed from the Corrective Action Program data by detecting increases in events. Organizational barriers can then be identified to improve performance. The resulting identified barriers are evaluated to rank the value of each possible barrier, and determine the best barrier(s) to implement. The tool described in this paper is designed to provide a systematic approach to identify areas where improvements in organizational effectiveness best reduce the likelihood of consequential events. Due to the uncertainty of many of the factors that influence the performance of humans in nuclear power plant activities, we propose using Bayesian networks to identify sources of organizational errors leading to consequential events. This study, using actual nuclear power plant data, includes a method for data processing and highlights some potential uses of Bayesian networks for improving organizational effectiveness in the nuclear power industry. (Author)

Evaluation of barriers and resilience to improve organizational performance in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, P. F.; Martin del Campo, C.

2014-10-01

In this study, several models are built from the information contained in the Condition Reports from the Corrective Action Program ar a nuclear power plant. Condition Reports are seen as indications of organizational stress levels with consequential Condition Reports being further evidence of organizational resilience being exceeded. Also contained in this paper is an examination of methods used to assess organizational resilience thresholds to preclude consequential events, based on examination of the number and severity of the Condition Reports. In combination with PSA risk insights, it is possible to identify risk significant procedures and their corresponding risk significant steps. Leading indicators can be used to identify the need for installing a barrier or defense to reduce human errors in a nuclear power plant. These indicators are developed from the Corrective Action Program data by detecting increases in events. Organizational barriers can then be identified to improve performance. The resulting identified barriers are evaluated to rank the value of each possible barrier, and determine the best barrier(s) to implement. The tool described in this paper is designed to provide a systematic approach to identify areas where improvements in organizational effectiveness best reduce the likelihood of consequential events. Due to the uncertainty of many of the factors that influence the performance of humans in nuclear power plant activities, we propose using Bayesian networks to identify sources of organizational errors leading to consequential events. This study, using actual nuclear power plant data, includes a method for data processing and highlights some potential uses of Bayesian networks for improving organizational effectiveness in the nuclear power industry. (Author)

Evaluation of ebselen supplementation on cryopreservation medium in human semen.

Science.gov (United States)

Khodayari Naeini, Zohreh; Hassani Bafrani, Hassan; Nikzad, Hossein

2014-04-01

An effect of cryopreservation on human sperm is sublethal cryodamage, in which cell viability post-thaw is lost more rapidly at later times than in fresh cells. This study examined whether the addition of an antioxidant to cryopreservation medium could improve the post-thaw parameters and evaluation of sperm chromatin quality of cryopreserved human spermatozoa from men with normal semen parameters. Semen samples (n=35) were collected by masturbation and assessed following WHO standards. Individual samples were classified as two portions. One portion (n=10) was for elucidate the concentration of ebselen.Then the samples(n=25) were divided in to 5groups.The first aliquot remained fresh.The second aliquots was mixed with cryopreservation medium.The third aliquots were mixed with cryopreservation medium containing solvent of ebselen.The forth and fifth aliquots were mixed with cryopreservation medium containing 1.25 and 2.5 µm of ebselen.Samples were frozen and thawed samples were assessed for sperm parameters.Three-way ANOVA Multivariate measures were used to assess. According to this assesment the differences are observed in existent groups in post-thaw count, motility index, vitality staining, and morphology and DNA fragmentation. After freezing the media containing of ebselen, DNA fragmentation is significantly different in comparison with control group. ebselen with 1.25 µm dose was significantly associated with post-thaw DNA fragmentation (p=0.047). Similarly ebselen with 2.5 µm dose was significantly associated with post-thaw DNA fragmentation (p=0.038). But other parameters were not altered. These results suggest that the addition of ebselen to cryopreservation medium doesnot improve post-thaw parameters and DNA fragmentation of sperm.

Human Albumin Fragments Nanoparticles as PTX Carrier for Improved Anti-cancer Efficacy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liang Ge

2018-06-01

Full Text Available For enhanced anti-cancer performance, human serum albumin fragments (HSAFs nanoparticles (NPs were developed as paclitaxel (PTX carrier in this paper. Human albumins were broken into fragments via degradation and crosslinked by genipin to form HSAF NPs for better biocompatibility, improved PTX drug loading and sustained drug release. Compared with crosslinked human serum albumin NPs, the HSAF-NPs showed relative smaller particle size, higher drug loading, and improved sustained release. Cellular and animal results both indicated that the PTX encapsulated HSAF-NPs have shown good anti-cancer performance. And the anticancer results confirmed that NPs with fast cellular internalization showed better tumor inhibition. These findings will not only provide a safe and robust drug delivery NP platform for cancer therapy, but also offer fundamental information for the optimal design of albumin based NPs.

Developing and improving human capital and productivity in public companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nozipho Sithole

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This article assesses the impact of the Assisted Education Programme (AEP in developing, improving human capital and productivity specifically for eThekwini Municipality employee human resource. This programme offers funding to employees to further their studies in higher learning institutions, which are in partnership with and recognized by eThekwini Municipality. The core function of this programme is to improve and develop employee capabilities in order to enhance municipal productivity. However, different factors have prohibited the programme from reaching required funding polity objectives. Participants filled in questionnaires and from them data were collected. The study used quantitative research as a method of research. The target population for this study consisted of 100 participants. The study sample size were 64 participants which were randomly selected out of the Durban Solid Waste Unit, specifically general assistants. The study analyzed data using SPSS (version 23.0. A significant percentage of respondents indicated to a lack of transparency and poor consistency in the process of awarding the funding and to insufficient information, which detailed the criteria for eligibility of applicants. Henceforth, the study concluded that municipal employee underutilized the AEP because of being ill informed about it. This resulted in the employee perception that the programme had little or no benefit to them and that it had no value in improving their human capital development. This finding is shown by a Chi-square goodness of fit test to be statistically significant (std=1.49150; mean=2.7500; p=.000

Indigenous Child Health in Brazil: The Evaluation of Impacts as a Human Rights Issue.

Science.gov (United States)

Coates, Anna R; Del Pino Marchito, Sandra; Vitoy, Bernardino

2016-06-01

Improving the health status of indigenous children is a long-standing challenge. Several United Nations committees have identified the health of indigenous peoples as a human rights concern. Addressing the health of indigenous children cannot be separated from their social, cultural, and historic contexts, and any related health program must offer culturally appropriate services and a community perspective broad enough to address the needs of children and the local worlds in which they live. Evaluations of programs must, therefore, address process as well as impacts. This paper assesses interventions addressing indigenous children's health in Brazil, ranging from those explicitly targeting indigenous children's health, such as the targeted immunization program for indigenous peoples, as well as more generalized programs, including a focus upon indigenous children, such as the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness. The paper discusses the tensions and complexities of ethnically targeted health interventions as well as the conceptual and methodological challenge of measuring the processes employed and their impact. The lessons learned, especially the need for countries to more systematically collect data and evaluate impacts using ethnicity as an analytical category, are drawn out with respect to ensuring human rights for all within health sector responses.

Biomechanical Analysis and Evaluation Technology Using Human Multi-Body Dynamic Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Yoon Hyuk; Shin, June Ho; Khurelbaatar, Tsolmonbaatar [Kyung Hee University, Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

2011-10-15

This paper presents the biomechanical analysis and evaluation technology of musculoskeletal system by multi-body human dynamic model and 3-D motion capture data. First, medical image based geometric model and material properties of tissue were used to develop the human dynamic model and 3-D motion capture data based motion analysis techniques were develop to quantify the in-vivo joint kinematics, joint moment, joint force, and muscle force. Walking and push-up motion was investigated using the developed model. The present model and technologies would be useful to apply the biomechanical analysis and evaluation of human activities.

Targeting PEPT1: a novel strategy to improve the antitumor efficacy of doxorubicin in human hepatocellular carcinoma therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Yanxia; Wu, Xiang; Wang, Tao; Zhao, Jia; Liu, Xi; Yao, Zhi; Zhang, Qingyu; Jian, Xu

2017-06-20

Proton coupled oligopeptide transporter 1 (PEPT1) is a member of the peptide transporter superfamily and plays important role in the absorption of oligopeptide and peptidomimetic drugs. Our previous research verified that PEPT1 expressed specifically in human Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue and cell lines and showed potential transport activity to be a new candidate of the tumor therapeutic target. In this study, we aim to explore the feasibility of a novel tumor target therapeutic strategy: Targeting PEPT1 to improve the antitumor efficacy of Doxorubicin in human HCC therapy. First, Doxorubicin was conjugated with Glycylglycylglycine (Gly-Gly-Gly) - a tripeptide which was known as the substrate of PEPT1 and characterized by HPLC and MS successfully. Doxorubicin-tripeptide conjugate was then observed to clarify the target delivery by PEPT1 and the antitumor effect on human hepatocarcinoma in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, the improvement of the toxic and side effect of Doxorubicin after conjugation was also evaluated by some biochemical tests. Our results reveal that targeting PEPT1 may contribute to the efficient delivery of Doxorubicin to hepatocarcinoma cells and the reduction of drug toxicity. PEPT1 has the prospect to be a novel target of HCC therapy.

An Improved AAM Method for Extracting Human Facial Features

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Zhou

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Active appearance model is a statistically parametrical model, which is widely used to extract human facial features and recognition. However, intensity values used in original AAM cannot provide enough information for image texture, which will lead to a larger error or a failure fitting of AAM. In order to overcome these defects and improve the fitting performance of AAM model, an improved texture representation is proposed in this paper. Firstly, translation invariant wavelet transform is performed on face images and then image structure is represented using the measure which is obtained by fusing the low-frequency coefficients with edge intensity. Experimental results show that the improved algorithm can increase the accuracy of the AAM fitting and express more information for structures of edge and texture.

A novel method of selective removal of human DNA improves PCR sensitivity for detection of Salmonella Typhi in blood samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Liqing; Pollard, Andrew J

2012-07-27

Enteric fever is a major public health problem, causing an estimated 21million new cases and 216,000 or more deaths every year. Current diagnosis of the disease is inadequate. Blood culture only identifies 45 to 70% of the cases and is time-consuming. Serological tests have very low sensitivity and specificity. Clinical samples obtained for diagnosis of enteric fever in the field generally have blood, so that even PCR-based methods, widely used for detection of other infectious diseases, are not a straightforward option in typhoid diagnosis. We developed a novel method to enrich target bacterial DNA by selective removal of human DNA from blood samples, enhancing the sensitivity of PCR tests. This method offers the possibility of improving PCR assays directly using clinical specimens for diagnosis of this globally important infectious disease. Blood samples were mixed with ox bile for selective lysis of human blood cells and the released human DNA was then digested with addition of bile resistant micrococcal nuclease. The intact Salmonella Typhi bacteria were collected from the specimen by centrifugation and the DNA extracted with QIAamp DNA mini kit. The presence of Salmonella Typhi bacteria in blood samples was detected by PCR with the fliC-d gene of Salmonella Typhi as the target. Micrococcal nuclease retained activity against human blood DNA in the presence of up to 9% ox bile. Background human DNA was dramatically removed from blood samples through the use of ox bile lysis and micrococcal nuclease for removal of mammalian DNA. Consequently target Salmonella Typhi DNA was enriched in DNA preparations and the PCR sensitivity for detection of Salmonella Typhi in spiked blood samples was enhanced by 1,000 fold. Use of a combination of selective ox-bile blood cell lysis and removal of human DNA with micrococcal nuclease significantly improves PCR sensitivity and offers a better option for improved typhoid PCR assays directly using clinical specimens in diagnosis of

A portfolio evaluation framework for air transportation improvement projects

Science.gov (United States)

Baik, Hyeoncheol

This thesis explores the application of portfolio theory to the Air Transportation System (ATS) improvement. The ATS relies on complexly related resources and different stakeholder groups. Moreover, demand for air travel is significantly increasing relative to capacity of air transportation. In this environment, improving the ATS is challenging. Many projects, which are defined as technologies or initiatives, for improvement have been proposed and some have been demonstrated in practice. However, there is no clear understanding of how well these projects work in different conditions nor of how they interact with each other or with existing systems. These limitations make it difficult to develop good project combinations, or portfolios that maximize improvement. To help address this gap, a framework for identifying good portfolios is proposed. The framework can be applied to individual projects or portfolios of projects. Projects or portfolios are evaluated using four different groups of factors (effectiveness, time-to-implement, scope of applicability, and stakeholder impacts). Portfolios are also evaluated in terms of interaction-determining factors (prerequisites, co-requisites, limiting factors, and amplifying factors) because, while a given project might work well in isolation, interdependencies between projects or with existing systems could result in lower overall performance in combination. Ways to communicate a portfolio to decision makers are also introduced. The framework is unique because (1) it allows using a variety of available data, and (2) it covers diverse benefit metrics. For demonstrating the framework, an application to ground delay management projects serves as a case study. The portfolio evaluation approach introduced in this thesis can aid decision makers and researchers at universities and aviation agencies such as Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Department of Defense (DoD), in

Human action quality evaluation based on fuzzy logic with application in underground coal mining.

Science.gov (United States)

Ionica, Andreea; Leba, Monica

2015-01-01

The work system is defined by its components, their roles and the relationships between them. Any work system gravitates around the human resource and the interdependencies between human factor and the other components of it. Researches in this field agreed that the human factor and its actions are difficult to quantify and predict. The objective of this paper is to apply a method of human actions evaluation in order to estimate possible risks and prevent possible system faults, both at human factor level and at equipment level. In order to point out the importance of the human factor influence on all the elements of the working systems we propose a fuzzy logic based methodology for quality evaluation of human actions. This methodology has a multidisciplinary character, as it gathers ideas and methods from: quality management, ergonomics, work safety and artificial intelligence. The results presented refer to a work system with a high degree of specificity, namely, underground coal mining and are valuable for human resources risk evaluation pattern. The fuzzy logic evaluation of the human actions leads to early detection of possible dangerous evolutions of the work system and alarm the persons in charge.

Improving teaching on the basis of student evaluation: integrative teaching consultation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wibbecke, Gerald; Kahmann, Janine; Pignotti, Tanja; Altenberger, Leander; Kadmon, Martina

2015-01-01

Due to the development of medical education in the past decade the role of teachers has changed and requires higher didactic competence. Student evaluation of teaching alone does not lead to considerable improvement of teaching quality. We present the concept of "Integrative Teaching Consultation", which comprises both the teacher's reflection and own objectives to improve their teaching as well as data from students ratings. Teachers in collaboration with a teaching consultant reflect on their teaching ability and set themselves improvement goals. Then the consultant himself observes a teaching session and subsequently analyses the respective student evaluation in order to give meaningful feedback to the teacher. The combination of student feedback with professional consultation elements can initiate and maintain improvements in teaching. Teaching consultation complements existing faculty development programs and increases the benefit of student evaluations.

Does external evaluation of laboratories improve patient safety?

Science.gov (United States)

Noble, Michael A

2007-01-01

Laboratory accreditation and External Quality Assessment (also called proficiency testing) are mainstays of laboratory quality assessment and performance. Both practices are associated with examples of improved laboratory performance. The relationship between laboratory performance and improved patient safety is more difficult to assess because of the many variables that are involved with patient outcome. Despite this difficulty, the argument to continue external evaluation of laboratories is too compelling to consider the alternative.

Performance in physiology evaluation: possible improvement by active learning strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Montrezor, Luís H

2016-12-01

The evaluation process is complex and extremely important in the teaching/learning process. Evaluations are constantly employed in the classroom to assist students in the learning process and to help teachers improve the teaching process. The use of active methodologies encourages students to participate in the learning process, encourages interaction with their peers, and stimulates thinking about physiological mechanisms. This study examined the performance of medical students on physiology over four semesters with and without active engagement methodologies. Four activities were used: a puzzle, a board game, a debate, and a video. The results show that engaging in activities with active methodologies before a physiology cognitive monitoring test significantly improved student performance compared with not performing the activities. We integrate the use of these methodologies with classic lectures, and this integration appears to improve the teaching/learning process in the discipline of physiology and improves the integration of physiology with cardiology and neurology. In addition, students enjoy the activities and perform better on their evaluations when they use them. Copyright © 2016 The American Physiological Society.

Management and Evaluation System on Human Error, Licence Requirements, and Job-aptitude in Rail and the Other Industries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koo, In Soo; Suh, S. M.; Park, G. O. (and others)

2006-07-15

Rail system is a system that is very closely related to the public life. When an accident happens, the public using this system should be injured or even be killed. The accident that recently took place in Taegu subway system, because of the inappropriate human-side task performance, showed demonstratively how its results could turn out to be tragic one. Many studies have shown that the most cases of the accidents have occurred because of performing his/her tasks in inappropriate way. It is generally recognised that the rail system without human element could never be happened quite long time. So human element in rail system is going to be the major factor to the next tragic accident. This state of the art report studied the cases of the managements and evaluation systems related to human errors, license requirements, and job aptitudes in the areas of rail and the other industries for the purpose of improvement of the task performance of personnel which consists of an element and finally enhancement of rail safety. The human errors, license requirements, and evaluation system of the job aptitude on people engaged in agencies with close relation to rail do much for development and preservation their abilities. But due to various inside and outside factors, to some extent it may have limitations to timely reflect overall trends of society, technology, and a sense of value. Removal and control of the factors of human errors will have epochal roles in safety of the rail system through the case studies of this report. Analytical results on case studies of this report will be used in the project 'Development of Management Criteria on Human Error and Evaluation Criteria on Job-aptitude of Rail Safe-operation Personnel' which has been carried out as a part of 'Integrated R and D Program for Railway Safety'.

Management and Evaluation System on Human Error, Licence Requirements, and Job-aptitude in Rail and the Other Industries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koo, In Soo; Suh, S. M.; Park, G. O.

2006-07-01

Rail system is a system that is very closely related to the public life. When an accident happens, the public using this system should be injured or even be killed. The accident that recently took place in Taegu subway system, because of the inappropriate human-side task performance, showed demonstratively how its results could turn out to be tragic one. Many studies have shown that the most cases of the accidents have occurred because of performing his/her tasks in inappropriate way. It is generally recognised that the rail system without human element could never be happened quite long time. So human element in rail system is going to be the major factor to the next tragic accident. This state of the art report studied the cases of the managements and evaluation systems related to human errors, license requirements, and job aptitudes in the areas of rail and the other industries for the purpose of improvement of the task performance of personnel which consists of an element and finally enhancement of rail safety. The human errors, license requirements, and evaluation system of the job aptitude on people engaged in agencies with close relation to rail do much for development and preservation their abilities. But due to various inside and outside factors, to some extent it may have limitations to timely reflect overall trends of society, technology, and a sense of value. Removal and control of the factors of human errors will have epochal roles in safety of the rail system through the case studies of this report. Analytical results on case studies of this report will be used in the project 'Development of Management Criteria on Human Error and Evaluation Criteria on Job-aptitude of Rail Safe-operation Personnel' which has been carried out as a part of 'Integrated R and D Program for Railway Safety'

An Improved Methodology to Overcome Key Issues in Human Fecal Metagenomic DNA Extraction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kumar, Jitendra; Kumar, Manoj; Gupta, Shashank

2016-01-01

Microbes are ubiquitously distributed in nature, and recent culture-independent studies have highlighted the significance of gut microbiota in human health and disease. Fecal DNA is the primary source for the majority of human gut microbiome studies. However, further improvement is needed to obta...

Improving Primary Care with Human-Centered Design and Partnership-Based Leadership

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

May-Lynn Andresen

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to empower and activate first-line staff (FLS to improve the six-month depression remission rate in a primary care clinic. Background: Lack of workforce engagement has been identified as an emerging national problem in health care and health care leaders have urged practice redesign to foster the Triple Aim of improved population health, improved care experience, and reduced cost of care (Berwick et al., 2008. Depression is difficult to manage and often exacerbates chronic illnesses and shortens lifespans, yet despite known effective treatments, six-month remission rates are low and care practices are often inadequate. Engaging in empowering leadership behaviors has demonstrated improvement in motivation, work outcomes, and empowerment in various industry settings across the world. Core approaches include: enhancing staff self-determination, encouraging participation in decision-making, and ensuring that staff have the knowledge and tools to achieve their performance goals, in addition to leadership communications that increase confidence in staff’s potential to perform at high levels, and their recognition that their efforts have an impact on improving organizational effectiveness. Methods: In this outpatient setting, care was siloed, staff were disengaged and a hierarchical paradigm was evident. Human-centered design principles were employed to intensively explore stakeholders’ experiences and to deeply engage end users in improving depression remission rates by creating, participating, and partnering in solutions. Leadership was educated in and deployed empowering leadership behaviors, which were synergistic with design thinking, and fostered empowerment. Results: Pre- and post-surveys demonstrated statistically significant improvement in empowerment. The six-month depression remission rate increased 167%, from 7.3% (N=261 to 19.4% (N=247. Conclusion: The convergence of

An Independent Human Factors Analysis and Evaluation of the Emergency Medical Protocol Checklist for the International Space Station

Science.gov (United States)

Marshburn, Thomas; Whitmore, Mihriban; Ortiz, Rosie; Segal, Michele; Smart, Kieran; Hughes, Catherine

2003-01-01

Emergency medical capabilities aboard the ISS include a Crew Medical Officer (CMO) (not necessarily a physician), and back-up, resuscitation equipment, and a medical checklist. It is essential that CMOs have reliable, usable and informative medical protocols that can be carried out independently in flight. The study evaluates the existing ISS Medical Checklist layout against a checklist updated to reflect a human factors approach to structure and organization. Method: The ISS Medical checklist was divided into non-emergency and emergency sections, and re-organized based on alphabetical and a body systems approach. A desk-top evaluation examined the ability of subjects to navigate to specific medical problems identified as representative of likely non-emergency events. A second evaluation aims to focus on the emergency section of the Medical Checklist, based on the preliminary findings of the first. The final evaluation will use Astronaut CMOs as subjects comparing the original checklist against the updated layout in the task of caring for a "downed crewmember" using a Human Patient Simulator [Medical Education Technologies, Inc.]. Results: Initial results have demonstrated a clear improvement of the re-organized sections to determine the solution to the medical problems. There was no distinct advantage for either alternative, although subjects stated having a preference for the body systems approach. In the second evaluation, subjects will be asked to identify emergency medical conditions, with measures including correct diagnosis, time to completion and solution strategy. The third evaluation will compare the original and fully updated checklists in clinical situations. Conclusions: Initial findings indicate that the ISS Medical Checklist will benefit from a reorganization. The present structure of the checklist has evolved over recent years without systematic testing of crewmember ability to diagnose medical problems. The improvements are expected to enable ISS

Improving teaching on the basis of student evaluation: Integrative teaching consultation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wibbecke, Gerald

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Objective: Due to the development of medical education in the past decade the role of teachers has changed and requires higher didactic competence. Student evaluation of teaching alone does not lead to considerable improvement of teaching quality. We present the concept of "Integrative Teaching Consultation", which comprises both the teacher’s reflection and own objectives to improve their teaching as well as data from students ratings.Methods: Teachers in collaboration with a teaching consultant reflect on their teaching ability and set themselves improvement goals. Then the consultant himself observes a teaching session and subsequently analyses the respective student evaluation in order to give meaningful feedback to the teacher.Results: The combination of student feedback with professional consultation elements can initiate and maintain improvements in teaching. Conclusion: Teaching consultation complements existing faculty development programs and increases the benefit of student evaluations.

Development of human factors evaluation techniques for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, I.S.; Lee, Y.H.; Lee, J.W.; Sim, B.S.

1999-01-01

This paper describes development of an operator task simulation analyzer and human factors evaluation techniques performed recently at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. The first is the SACOM (Simulation Analyzer with a Cognitive Operator Model) for the assessment of task performance by simulating control room operation. The latter has two objectives: to establish a human factors experiment facility, the Integrated Test Facility (ITF), and to establish techniques for human factors experiments. (author)

Identification of advanced human factors engineering analysis, design and evaluation methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plott, C.; Ronan, A. M.; Laux, L.; Bzostek, J.; Milanski, J.; Scheff, S.

2006-01-01

NUREG-0711 Rev.2, 'Human Factors Engineering Program Review Model,' provides comprehensive guidance to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in assessing the human factors practices employed by license applicants for Nuclear Power Plant control room designs. As software based human-system interface (HSI) technologies supplant traditional hardware-based technologies, the NRC may encounter new HSI technologies or seemingly unconventional approaches to human factors design, analysis, and evaluation methods which NUREG-0711 does not anticipate. A comprehensive survey was performed to identify advanced human factors engineering analysis, design and evaluation methods, tools, and technologies that the NRC may encounter in near term future licensee applications. A review was conducted to identify human factors methods, tools, and technologies relevant to each review element of NUREG-0711. Additionally emerging trends in technology which have the potential to impact review elements, such as Augmented Cognition, and various wireless tools and technologies were identified. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the survey results and to highlight issues that could be revised or adapted to meet with emerging trends. (authors)

Spatio-Temporal Layout of Human Actions for Improved Bag-of-Words Action Detection

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Burghouts, G.J.; Schutte, K.

2013-01-01

We investigate how human action recognition can be improved by considering spatio-temporal layout of actions. From literature, we adopt a pipeline consisting of STIP features, a random forest to quantize the features into histograms, and an SVM classifier. Our goal is to detect 48 human actions,

Using Evaluability Assessment to Improve Program Evaluation for the Blue-Throated Macaw Environmental Education Project in Bolivia

Science.gov (United States)

Salvatierra da Silva, Daniela; Jacobson, Susan K.; Monroe, Martha C.; Israel, Glenn D.

2016-01-01

An evaluability assessment of a program to save a critically endangered bird helped prepare the Blue-throated Macaw Environmental Education Project for evaluation and program improvement. The evaluability assessment facilitated agreement among key stakeholders on evaluation criteria and intended uses of evaluation information in order to maximize…

Fluorescently labeled chimeric anti-CEA antibody improves detection and resection of human colon cancer in a patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) nude mouse model.

Science.gov (United States)

Metildi, Cristina A; Kaushal, Sharmeela; Luiken, George A; Talamini, Mark A; Hoffman, Robert M; Bouvet, Michael

2014-04-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate a new fluorescently labeled chimeric anti-CEA antibody for improved detection and resection of colon cancer. Frozen tumor and normal human tissue samples were stained with chimeric and mouse antibody-fluorophore conjugates for comparison. Mice with patient-derived orthotopic xenografts (PDOX) of colon cancer underwent fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) or bright-light surgery (BLS) 24 hr after tail vein injection of fluorophore-conjugated chimeric anti-CEA antibody. Resection completeness was assessed using postoperative images. Mice were followed for 6 months for recurrence. The fluorophore conjugation efficiency (dye/mole ratio) improved from 3-4 to >5.5 with the chimeric CEA antibody compared to mouse anti-CEA antibody. CEA-expressing tumors labeled with chimeric CEA antibody provided a brighter fluorescence signal on frozen human tumor tissues (P = 0.046) and demonstrated consistently lower fluorescence signals in normal human tissues compared to mouse antibody. Chimeric CEA antibody accurately labeled PDOX colon cancer in nude mice, enabling improved detection of tumor margins for more effective FGS. The R0 resection rate increased from 86% to 96% with FGS compared to BLS. Improved conjugating efficiency and labeling with chimeric fluorophore-conjugated antibody resulted in better detection and resection of human colon cancer in an orthotopic mouse model. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Human Factors Evaluation of Advanced Electric Power Grid Visualization Tools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Greitzer, Frank L.; Dauenhauer, Peter M.; Wierks, Tamara G.; Podmore, Robin

2009-04-01

This report describes initial human factors evaluation of four visualization tools (Graphical Contingency Analysis, Force Directed Graphs, Phasor State Estimator and Mode Meter/ Mode Shapes) developed by PNNL, and proposed test plans that may be implemented to evaluate their utility in scenario-based experiments.

Driving Performance Improvements by Integrating Competencies with Human Resource Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jin Gu; Park, Yongho; Yang, Gi Hun

2010-01-01

This study explores the issues in the development and application of a competency model and provides implications for more precise integration of competencies into human resource (HR) functions driving performance improvement. This research is based on a case study from a Korean consumer corporation. This study employed document reviews,…

A review of the models for evaluating organizational factors in human reliability analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarenga, Marco Antonio Bayout; Fonseca, Renato Alves da; Melo, Paulo Fernando Ferreira Frutuoso e

2009-01-01

Human factors should be evaluated in three hierarchical levels. The first level should concern the cognitive behavior of human beings during the control of processes that occur through the man-machine interface. Here, one evaluates human errors through human reliability models of first and second generation, like THERP, ASEP and HCR (first generation) and ATHEANA and CREAM (second generation). In the second level, the focus is in the cognitive behavior of human beings when they work in groups, as in nuclear power plants. The focus here is in the anthropological aspects that govern the interaction among human beings. In the third level, one is interested in the influence that the organizational culture exerts on human beings as well as on the tasks being performed. Here, one adds to the factors of the second level the economical and political aspects that shape the company organizational culture. Nowadays, the methodologies of HRA incorporate organizational factors in the group and organization levels through performance shaping factors. This work makes a critical evaluation of the deficiencies concerning human factors and evaluates the potential of quantitative techniques that have been proposed in the last decade to model organizational factors, including the interaction among groups, with the intention of eliminating this chronic deficiency of HRA models. Two important techniques will be discussed in this context: STAMP, based on system theory and FRAM, which aims at modeling the nonlinearities of socio-technical systems. (author)

A review of the models for evaluating organizational factors in human reliability analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alvarenga, Marco Antonio Bayout; Fonseca, Renato Alves da [Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)], e-mail: bayout@cnen.gov.br, e-mail: rfonseca@cnen.gov.br; Melo, Paulo Fernando Ferreira Frutuoso e [Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-graduacao de Engenharia (COPPE/UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Programa de Engenharia Nuclear], e-mail: frutuoso@con.ufrj.br

2009-07-01

Human factors should be evaluated in three hierarchical levels. The first level should concern the cognitive behavior of human beings during the control of processes that occur through the man-machine interface. Here, one evaluates human errors through human reliability models of first and second generation, like THERP, ASEP and HCR (first generation) and ATHEANA and CREAM (second generation). In the second level, the focus is in the cognitive behavior of human beings when they work in groups, as in nuclear power plants. The focus here is in the anthropological aspects that govern the interaction among human beings. In the third level, one is interested in the influence that the organizational culture exerts on human beings as well as on the tasks being performed. Here, one adds to the factors of the second level the economical and political aspects that shape the company organizational culture. Nowadays, the methodologies of HRA incorporate organizational factors in the group and organization levels through performance shaping factors. This work makes a critical evaluation of the deficiencies concerning human factors and evaluates the potential of quantitative techniques that have been proposed in the last decade to model organizational factors, including the interaction among groups, with the intention of eliminating this chronic deficiency of HRA models. Two important techniques will be discussed in this context: STAMP, based on system theory and FRAM, which aims at modeling the nonlinearities of socio-technical systems. (author)

A collaborative brain-computer interface for improving human performance.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yijun Wang

Full Text Available Electroencephalogram (EEG based brain-computer interfaces (BCI have been studied since the 1970s. Currently, the main focus of BCI research lies on the clinical use, which aims to provide a new communication channel to patients with motor disabilities to improve their quality of life. However, the BCI technology can also be used to improve human performance for normal healthy users. Although this application has been proposed for a long time, little progress has been made in real-world practices due to technical limits of EEG. To overcome the bottleneck of low single-user BCI performance, this study proposes a collaborative paradigm to improve overall BCI performance by integrating information from multiple users. To test the feasibility of a collaborative BCI, this study quantitatively compares the classification accuracies of collaborative and single-user BCI applied to the EEG data collected from 20 subjects in a movement-planning experiment. This study also explores three different methods for fusing and analyzing EEG data from multiple subjects: (1 Event-related potentials (ERP averaging, (2 Feature concatenating, and (3 Voting. In a demonstration system using the Voting method, the classification accuracy of predicting movement directions (reaching left vs. reaching right was enhanced substantially from 66% to 80%, 88%, 93%, and 95% as the numbers of subjects increased from 1 to 5, 10, 15, and 20, respectively. Furthermore, the decision of reaching direction could be made around 100-250 ms earlier than the subject's actual motor response by decoding the ERP activities arising mainly from the posterior parietal cortex (PPC, which are related to the processing of visuomotor transmission. Taken together, these results suggest that a collaborative BCI can effectively fuse brain activities of a group of people to improve the overall performance of natural human behavior.

Using Technology to Improve the Objectivity of Criminal Responsibility Evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Vitacco, Michael J; Gottfried, Emily D; Batastini, Ashley B

2018-03-01

Criminal responsibility (or insanity) evaluations require forensic clinicians to reconstruct a defendant's decision-making abilities, behavioral control, and emotional state at the time of the criminal act. Forensic evaluators are ultimately tasked to evaluate whether an individual had the capacity to understand right from wrong, and in some jurisdictions, determine whether the defendant lacked substantial capacity to conform his behavior to the requirements of the law as a result of a threshold condition (e.g., mental illness). Insanity evaluations are inherently complex, because they require the clinician to determine someone's mental state at some point in the past (weeks, months, or even years). Recent research on insanity evaluations underscores significant problems with the reliability and validity of these evaluations. However, technological advances including social media (e.g., Facebook and Twitter), mandating that law enforcement videotape interrogations, and the use of body and dashboard cameras can aid clinicians in improving the precision and quality of insanity evaluations. This article discusses practical guidelines and ethics-related concerns regarding the use of technology to improve the objectivity of criminal responsibility evaluations. © 2018 American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.

Development of human performance evaluation methods and systems for human factors validation in an advanced control room

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ha, Jun Su

2008-02-01

Advanced control room (ACR) human-machine interface (HMI) design of advanced nuclear power plants (NPPs) such as APR (advanced power reactor)-1400 can be validated through performance-based tests to determine whether it acceptably supports safe operation of the plant. In this paper, plant performance, personnel task performance, situation awareness, workload, teamwork, and anthropometric/ physiological factor are considered as factors for the human performance evaluation. For development of measures in each of the factors, measures generally used in various industries and empirically proven to be useful are adopted as main measures with some modifications. In addition, helpful measures are developed as complementary measures in order to overcome some of the limitations associated with the main measures. The development of the measures is addressed based on the theoretical and empirical background and also based on the regulatory guidelines. A computerized system, which is called HUPESS (human performance evaluation support system), is developed based on the measures developed in this paper. The development of HUPESS is described with respect to the system configuration, the development process, and integrated measurement, evaluation, and analysis. HUPESS supports evaluators (or experimenters) to effectively measure, analyze, and evaluate the human performance for the HMI design validation in ACRs. Hence HUPESS is expected to be used as an effective tool for the human factors validation in the ACR of Shin Kori 3 and 4 NPPs (APR-1400 type) which are under construction in South-Korea. Also two measures of attentional-resource effectiveness based on cost-benefit analysis are developed. One of them is Fixation to Importance Ratio (FIR) which represents the attentional resources spent on an information source compared to the importance of the information source. The other measure is selective attention effectiveness (SAE) which incorporates the FIRs for all information

The influence of human resource management on improvement of business ethics

OpenAIRE

Radenko Maric; Jelena Vemic- Djurkovic

2010-01-01

In this paper the importance of practice of human resource management as of a significant driver of business ethics in companies has been considered. The basic premise of the paper is the fact that the company’s main source of unethical behaviour is situated in its people’s activities which further implies that many measures aimed to apply and improve business ethics belong to the domain of human resource management. Based on research results on a sample of 36 enterprises, the paper attempts...

Tracing Impact in a Usability Improvement Process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Uldall-Espersen, Tobias; Frøkjær, Erik; Hornbæk, Kasper Anders Søren

2008-01-01

Analyzing usability improvement processes as they take place in real-life organizations is necessary to understand the practice of usability work. This paper describes a case study where the usability of an information system is improved and a relationship between the improvements...... and the evaluation efforts is established. Results show that evaluation techniques complemented each other by suggesting different kinds of usability improvement. Among the techniques applied, a combination of questionnaires and Metaphors of Human Thinking (MOT) showed the largest mean impact and MOT produced...... the largest number of impacts. Logging of real-life use of the system over 6 months indicated six aspects of improved usability, where significant differences among evaluation techniques were found. Concerning five of the six aspects Think Aloud evaluations and the above-mentioned combination of questionnaire...

Improving solubility and refolding efficiency of human V(H)s by a novel mutational approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanha, Jamshid; Nguyen, Thanh-Dung; Ng, Andy; Ryan, Shannon; Ni, Feng; Mackenzie, Roger

2006-11-01

The antibody V(H) domains of camelids tend to be soluble and to resist aggregation, in contrast to human V(H) domains. For immunotherapy, attempts have therefore been made to improve the properties of human V(H)s by camelization of a small set of framework residues. Here, we have identified through sequence comparison of well-folded llama V(H) domains an alternative set of residues (not typically camelid) for mutation. Thus, the solubility and thermal refolding efficiency of a typical human V(H), derived from the human antibody BT32/A6, were improved by introduction of two mutations in framework region (FR) 1 and 4 to generate BT32/A6.L1. Three more mutations in FR3 of BT32/A6.L1 further improved the thermal refolding efficiency while retaining solubility and cooperative melting profiles. To demonstrate practical utility, BT32/A6.L1 was used to construct a phage display library from which were isolated human V(H)s with good antigen binding activity and solubility. The engineered human V(H) domains described here may be useful for immunotherapy, due to their expected low immunogenicity, and in applications involving transient high temperatures, due to their efficient refolding after thermal denaturation.

Human factors evaluation of teletherapy: Training and organizational analysis. Volume 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henriksen, K.; Kaye, R.D.; Jones, R.; Morisseau, D.S.; Serig, D.I.

1995-07-01

A series of human factors evaluations were undertaken to better understand the contributing factors to human error in the teletherapy environment. Teletherapy is a multidisciplinary methodology for treating cancerous tissue through selective exposure to an external beam of ionizing radiation. A team of human factors specialists, assisted by a panel of radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiation therapists, conducted site visits to radiation oncology departments at community hospitals, university centers, and free-standing clinics. A function and task analysis was initially performed to guide subsequent evaluations in the areas of system-user interfaces, procedures, training and qualifications, and organizational policies and practices. The present work focuses solely on training and qualifications of personnel (e.g., training received before and during employment), and the potential impact of organizational factors on the performance of teletherapy. Organizational factors include such topics as adequacy of staffing, performance evaluations, commonly occurring errors, implementation of quality assurance programs, and organizational climate

Human factors evaluation of teletherapy: Training and organizational analysis. Volume 4

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henriksen, K.; Kaye, R.D.; Jones, R. [Hughes Training, Inc., Falls Church, VA (United States); Morisseau, D.S.; Serig, D.I. [Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States). Div. of Systems Technology

1995-07-01

A series of human factors evaluations were undertaken to better understand the contributing factors to human error in the teletherapy environment. Teletherapy is a multidisciplinary methodology for treating cancerous tissue through selective exposure to an external beam of ionizing radiation. A team of human factors specialists, assisted by a panel of radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiation therapists, conducted site visits to radiation oncology departments at community hospitals, university centers, and free-standing clinics. A function and task analysis was initially performed to guide subsequent evaluations in the areas of system-user interfaces, procedures, training and qualifications, and organizational policies and practices. The present work focuses solely on training and qualifications of personnel (e.g., training received before and during employment), and the potential impact of organizational factors on the performance of teletherapy. Organizational factors include such topics as adequacy of staffing, performance evaluations, commonly occurring errors, implementation of quality assurance programs, and organizational climate.

Human retinal gene therapy for Leber congenital amaurosis shows advancing retinal degeneration despite enduring visual improvement

OpenAIRE

Cideciyan, Artur V.; Jacobson, Samuel G.; Beltran, William A.; Sumaroka, Alexander; Swider, Malgorzata; Iwabe, Simone; Roman, Alejandro J.; Olivares, Melani B.; Schwartz, Sharon B.; Komáromy, András M.; Hauswirth, William W.; Aguirre, Gustavo D.

2013-01-01

The first retinal gene therapy in human blindness from RPE65 mutations has focused on safety and efficacy, as defined by improved vision. The disease component not studied, however, has been the fate of photoreceptors in this progressive retinal degeneration. We show that gene therapy improves vision for at least 3 y, but photoreceptor degeneration progresses unabated in humans. In the canine model, the same result occurs when treatment is at the disease stage equivalent to humans. The study ...

Evaluation and improvement of nondestructive evaluation reliability for inservice inspection of light water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bates, D.J.; Deffenbaugh, J.D.; Good, M.S.; Heasler, P.G.; Mart, G.A.; Simonen, F.A.; Spanner, J.C.; Taylor, T.T.; Van Fleet, L.G.

1987-01-01

The Evaluation and Improvement of NDE Reliability for Inservice Inspection (ISI) of Light Water Reactors (NDE Reliability) Program at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) was established to determine the reliability of current ISI techniques and to develop recommendations that will ensure a suitably high inspection reliability. The objectives of this NRC program are to: determine the reliability of ultrasonic ISI performed on commercial light-water reactor (LWR) primary systems, using probabilistic fracture mechanics analysis, determine the impact of NDE unreliability on system safety and determine the level of inspection reliability required to ensure a suitably low failure probability, evaluate the degree of reliability improvement that could be achieved using improved and advanced NDE techniques, based on material properties, service conditions, and NDE uncertainties, recommend revisions to ASME Code, Section XI, and Regulatory Requirements that will ensure suitably low failure probabilities. The scope of this program is limited to ISI of primary systems; the results and recommendations may also be applicable to Class II piping systems

The use of artificial neural network to evaluate the effects of human ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The use of artificial neural network to evaluate the effects of human and physiographic factors on forest stock volume. ... stock volume and human factors in certain topography conditions and provides useful information for the acceptable amount of standing inventory using the present human population in future experiment.

Improvements and impacts of GRCh38 human reference on high throughput sequencing data analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yan; Dai, Yulin; Yu, Hui; Zhao, Shilin; Samuels, David C; Shyr, Yu

2017-03-01

Analyses of high throughput sequencing data starts with alignment against a reference genome, which is the foundation for all re-sequencing data analyses. Each new release of the human reference genome has been augmented with improved accuracy and completeness. It is presumed that the latest release of human reference genome, GRCh38 will contribute more to high throughput sequencing data analysis by providing more accuracy. But the amount of improvement has not yet been quantified. We conducted a study to compare the genomic analysis results between the GRCh38 reference and its predecessor GRCh37. Through analyses of alignment, single nucleotide polymorphisms, small insertion/deletions, copy number and structural variants, we show that GRCh38 offers overall more accurate analysis of human sequencing data. More importantly, GRCh38 produced fewer false positive structural variants. In conclusion, GRCh38 is an improvement over GRCh37 not only from the genome assembly aspect, but also yields more reliable genomic analysis results. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A comparative evaluation of five human reliability assessment techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirwan, B.

1988-01-01

A field experiment was undertaken to evaluate the accuracy, usefulness, and resources requirements of five human reliability quantification techniques (Techniques for Human Error Rate Prediction (THERP); Paired Comparisons, Human Error Assessment and Reduction Technique (HEART), Success Liklihood Index Method (SLIM)-Multi Attribute Utility Decomposition (MAUD), and Absolute Probability Judgement). This was achieved by assessing technique predictions against a set of known human error probabilities, and by comparing their predictions on a set of five realistic Probabilisitc Risk Assessment (PRA) human error. On a combined measure of accuracy THERP and Absolute Probability Judgement performed best, whilst HEART showed indications of accuracy and was lower in resources usage than other techniques. HEART and THERP both appear to benefit from using trained assessors in order to obtain the best results. SLIM and Paired Comparisons require further research on achieving a robust calibration relationship between their scale values and absolute probabilities. (author)

Evaluation of two communication strategies to improve udder health management

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jansen, J.; Renes, R.J.; Lam, T.J.G.M.

2010-01-01

Worldwide, programs to improve udder health are implemented using communication tools and methods that inform and persuade dairy farmers. This study evaluated 2 communication strategies used in a mastitis control program in the Netherlands. To improve farmers’ udder health management, tools such as

THE EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF IT GOVERNANCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Pérez Lorences

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The present article aims to propose a general procedure to evaluate and improve the Information Technology (IT Governance in an organization, considering the Business–IT alignment and risk management. The procedure integrates management tools such as business processes management, risk management, strategic alignment and the balanced scorecard. Additionally, to assess the IT Governance level we proposed an indicator based on the process maturity. The concepts and ideas presented here had been applied in four case studies, verifying their implementation feasibility. The results indicate a low level of IT governance and the existence of several problems primarily in the Plan and Organize and Monitor and Evaluate domains.

Improvement of Radiation-Mediated Immunosuppression of Human NSCLC Tumour Xenografts in a Nude Rat Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergey V. Tokalov

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Human tumour xenografts in a nude rat model have consistently been used as an essential part of preclinical studies for anticancer drugs activity in human. Commonly, these animals receive whole body irradiation to assure immunosuppression. But whole body dose delivery might be inhomogeneous and the resulting incomplete bone marrow depletion may modify tumour behaviour. To improve irradiation-mediated immunosuppression of human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC xenografts in a nude rat model irradiation (2 + 2 Gy from opposite sides of animals has been performed using a conventional X-ray tube. The described modification of whole body irradiation improves growth properties of human NSCLC xenografts in a nude rat model. The design of the whole body irradiation mediated immunosuppression described here for NSCLC xenografts may be useful for research applications involving other types of human tumours.

Improving human reliability through better nuclear power plant system design. Progress report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golay, M.W.

1995-01-01

The project on open-quotes Development of a Theory of the Dependence of Human Reliability upon System Designs as a Means of Improving Nuclear Power Plant Performanceclose quotes has been undertaken in order to address the important problem of human error in advanced nuclear power plant designs. Most of the creativity in formulating such concepts has focused upon improving the mechanical reliability of safety related plant systems. However, the lack of a mature theory has retarded similar progress in reducing the likely frequencies of human errors. The main design mechanism used to address this class of concerns has been to reduce or eliminate the human role in plant operations and accident response. The plan of work being pursued in this project is to perform a set of experiments involving human subject who are required to operate, diagnose and respond to changes in computer-simulated systems, relevant to those encountered in nuclear power plants. In the tests the systems are made to differ in complexity in a systematic manner. The computer program used to present the problems to be solved also records the response of the operator as it unfolds. Ultimately this computer is also to be used in compiling the results of the project. The work of this project is focused upon nuclear power plant applications. However, the persuasiveness of human errors in using all sorts of electromechanical machines gives it a much greater potential importance. Because of this we are attempting to pursue our work in a fashion permitting broad generalizations

Human evaluation in association to the mathematical analysis of arch forms: Two-dimensional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zabidin, Nurwahidah; Mohamed, Alizae Marny; Zaharim, Azami; Marizan Nor, Murshida; Rosli, Tanti Irawati

2018-03-01

To evaluate the relationship between human evaluation of the dental-arch form, to complete a mathematical analysis via two different methods in quantifying the arch form, and to establish agreement with the fourth-order polynomial equation. This study included 64 sets of digitised maxilla and mandible dental casts obtained from a sample of dental arch with normal occlusion. For human evaluation, a convenient sample of orthodontic practitioners ranked the photo images of dental cast from the most tapered to the less tapered (square). In the mathematical analysis, dental arches were interpolated using the fourth-order polynomial equation with millimetric acetate paper and AutoCAD software. Finally, the relations between human evaluation and mathematical objective analyses were evaluated. Human evaluations were found to be generally in agreement, but only at the extremes of tapered and square arch forms; this indicated general human error and observer bias. The two methods used to plot the arch form were comparable. The use of fourth-order polynomial equation may be facilitative in obtaining a smooth curve, which can produce a template for individual arch that represents all potential tooth positions for the dental arch. Copyright © 2018 CEO. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Human reliability analysis of performing tasks in plants based on fuzzy integral

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Washio, Takashi; Kitamura, Yutaka; Takahashi, Hideaki

1991-01-01

The effective improvement of the human working conditions in nuclear power plants might be a solution for the enhancement of the operation safety. The human reliability analysis (HRA) gives a methodological basis of the improvement based on the evaluation of human reliability under various working conditions. This study investigates some difficulties of the human reliability analysis using conventional linear models and recent fuzzy integral models, and provides some solutions to the difficulties. The following practical features of the provided methods are confirmed in comparison with the conventional methods: (1) Applicability to various types of tasks (2) Capability of evaluating complicated dependencies among working condition factors (3) A priori human reliability evaluation based on a systematic task analysis of human action processes (4) A conversion scheme to probability from indices representing human reliability. (author)

Improving the Quality of Ward-based Surgical Care With a Human Factors Intervention Bundle.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Maximilian J; Arora, Sonal; King, Dominic; Darzi, Ara

2018-01-01

This study aimed to explore the impact of a human factors intervention bundle on the quality of ward-based surgical care in a UK hospital. Improving the culture of a surgical team is a difficult task. Engagement with stakeholders before intervention is key. Studies have shown that appropriate supervision can enhance surgical ward safety. A pre-post intervention study was conducted. The intervention bundle consisted of twice-daily attending ward rounds, a "chief resident of the week" available at all times on the ward, an escalation of care protocol and team contact cards. Twenty-seven junior and senior surgeons completed validated questionnaires assessing supervision, escalation of care, and safety culture pre and post-intervention along with interviews to further explore the impact of the intervention. Patient outcomes pre and postintervention were also analyzed. Questionnaires revealed significant improvements in supervision postintervention (senior median pre 5 vs post 7, P = 0.002 and junior 4 vs 6, P = 0.039) and senior surgeon approachability (junior 5 vs 6, P = 0.047). Both groups agreed that they would feel safer as a patient in their hospital postintervention (senior 3 vs 4.5, P = 0.021 and junior 3 vs 4, P = 0.034). The interviews confirmed that the safety culture of the department had improved. There were no differences in inpatient mortality, cardiac arrest, reoperation, or readmission rates pre and postintervention. Improving supervision and introducing clear protocols can improve safety culture on the surgical ward. Future work should evaluate the effect these measures have on patient outcomes in multiple institutions.

PPARγ agonists improve survival and neurocognitive outcomes in experimental cerebral malaria and induce neuroprotective pathways in human malaria.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lena Serghides

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Cerebral malaria (CM is associated with a high mortality rate, and long-term neurocognitive impairment in approximately one third of survivors. Adjunctive therapies that modify the pathophysiological processes involved in CM may improve outcome over anti-malarial therapy alone. PPARγ agonists have been reported to have immunomodulatory effects in a variety of disease models. Here we report that adjunctive therapy with PPARγ agonists improved survival and long-term neurocognitive outcomes in the Plasmodium berghei ANKA experimental model of CM. Compared to anti-malarial therapy alone, PPARγ adjunctive therapy administered to mice at the onset of CM signs, was associated with reduced endothelial activation, and enhanced expression of the anti-oxidant enzymes SOD-1 and catalase and the neurotrophic factors brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF and nerve growth factor (NGF in the brains of infected mice. Two months following infection, mice that were treated with anti-malarials alone demonstrated cognitive dysfunction, while mice that received PPARγ adjunctive therapy were completely protected from neurocognitive impairment and from PbA-infection induced brain atrophy. In humans with P. falciparum malaria, PPARγ therapy was associated with reduced endothelial activation and with induction of neuroprotective pathways, such as BDNF. These findings provide insight into mechanisms conferring improved survival and preventing neurocognitive injury in CM, and support the evaluation of PPARγ agonists in human CM.

Thinspiration: Self-Improvement Versus Self-Evaluation Social Comparisons with Thin-Ideal Media Portrayals.

Science.gov (United States)

Knobloch-Westerwick, Silvia

2015-01-01

Much research has demonstrated negative impacts of idealized-body imagery exposure on body satisfaction. Yet, paradoxically, media with such imagery attract mass audiences. Few studies showed women's body satisfaction increased due to thin-ideal exposure. The kind of social comparison women engage in (self-evaluation vs. self-improvement) may explain these inconsistent findings and the paradoxical attraction to thin-ideal messages. Across 5 days, thin-ideal messages were presented to 51 women; self-evaluation and self-improvement social comparisons as well as body satisfaction were measured each day. A linear positive change in body satisfaction emerged. Greater self-improvement social comparisons increased this change, whereas greater self-evaluation social comparisons reduced it. Extent of both social comparison types changed during the prolonged exposure. A greater tendency to compare one's body with others' improved body satisfaction through self-improvement social comparisons and fostered weight-loss behaviors through self-evaluation social comparisons.

Quantitative evaluation of impedance perception characteristics of humans in the man-machine interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onish, Keiichi; Kim, Young Woo; Obinata, Goro; Hase, Kazunori

2013-01-01

We investigated impedance perception characteristics of humans in the man-machine interface. Sensibility or operational feel about physical properties of machine dynamics is obtained through perception process. We evaluated the impedance perception characteristics of humans who are operating a mechanical system, based on extended Scheffe's subjective evaluation method in full consideration of the influence of impedance level, impedance difference, experiment order, individual difference and so on. Constant method based quantitative evaluation was adopted to investigate the influence of motion frequency and change of the impedance on human impedance perception characteristics. Experimental results indicate that humans perceive impedance of mechanical systems based on comparison process of the dynamical characteristics of the systems. The proposed method can be applied to quantify the design requirement of man-machine interface. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through experimental results.

Quantitative evaluation of impedance perception characteristics of humans in the man-machine interface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Onish, Keiichi [Yamaha Motor Co., Shizuoka (Japan); Kim, Young Woo [Daegu Techno Park R and D Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Obinata, Goro [Nagoya University, Nagoya (Japan); Hase, Kazunori [Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo (Japan)

2013-05-15

We investigated impedance perception characteristics of humans in the man-machine interface. Sensibility or operational feel about physical properties of machine dynamics is obtained through perception process. We evaluated the impedance perception characteristics of humans who are operating a mechanical system, based on extended Scheffe's subjective evaluation method in full consideration of the influence of impedance level, impedance difference, experiment order, individual difference and so on. Constant method based quantitative evaluation was adopted to investigate the influence of motion frequency and change of the impedance on human impedance perception characteristics. Experimental results indicate that humans perceive impedance of mechanical systems based on comparison process of the dynamical characteristics of the systems. The proposed method can be applied to quantify the design requirement of man-machine interface. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through experimental results.

Modulation of the Gastrointestinal Microbiome with Nondigestible Fermentable Carbohydrates To Improve Human Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Deehan, Edward C; Duar, Rebbeca M; Armet, Anissa M; Perez-Muñoz, Maria Elisa; Jin, Mingliang; Walter, Jens

2017-09-01

There is a clear association between the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome and the development of chronic noncommunicable diseases, providing a rationale for the development of strategies that target the GI microbiota to improve human health. In this article, we discuss the potential of supplementing the human diet with nondigestible fermentable carbohydrates (NDFCs) to modulate the composition, structure, diversity, and metabolic potential of the GI microbiome in an attempt to prevent or treat human disease. The current concepts by which NDFCs can be administered to humans, including prebiotics, fermentable dietary fibers, and microbiota-accessible carbohydrates, as well as the mechanisms by which these carbohydrates exert their health benefits, are discussed. Epidemiological research presents compelling evidence for the health effects of NDFCs, with clinical studies providing further support for some of these benefits. However, rigorously designed human intervention studies with well-established clinical markers and microbial endpoints are still essential to establish (i) the clinical efficiency of specific NDFCs, (ii) the causal role of the GI microbiota in these effects, (iii) the underlying mechanisms involved, and (iv) the degree by which inter-individual differences between GI microbiomes influence these effects. Such studies would provide the mechanistic understanding needed for a systematic application of NDFCs to improve human health via GI microbiota modulation while also allowing the personalization of these dietary strategies.

Ethics in action: Approving and improving medical research with human subjects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, J.P.

2013-01-01

In this thesis, Jean Philippe de Jong presents a new understanding of ethical oversight on medical research with human subjects and proposes that two philosophies for ethical oversight exist: '(dis)approving' and 'improving'. Systems for ethical oversight on medical research have been in place for

Recommended Resources for Planning to Evaluate Program Improvement Efforts (Including the SSIP)

Science.gov (United States)

National Center for Systemic Improvement at WestEd, 2015

2015-01-01

This document provides a list of recommended existing resources for state Part C and Part B 619 staff and technical assistance (TA) providers to utilize to support evaluation planning for program improvement efforts (including the State Systemic Improvement Plan, SSIP). There are many resources available related to evaluation and evaluation…

Evaluating a federated medical search engine: tailoring the methodology and reporting the evaluation outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Saparova, D; Belden, J; Williams, J; Richardson, B; Schuster, K

2014-01-01

Federated medical search engines are health information systems that provide a single access point to different types of information. Their efficiency as clinical decision support tools has been demonstrated through numerous evaluations. Despite their rigor, very few of these studies report holistic evaluations of medical search engines and even fewer base their evaluations on existing evaluation frameworks. To evaluate a federated medical search engine, MedSocket, for its potential net benefits in an established clinical setting. This study applied the Human, Organization, and Technology (HOT-fit) evaluation framework in order to evaluate MedSocket. The hierarchical structure of the HOT-factors allowed for identification of a combination of efficiency metrics. Human fit was evaluated through user satisfaction and patterns of system use; technology fit was evaluated through the measurements of time-on-task and the accuracy of the found answers; and organization fit was evaluated from the perspective of system fit to the existing organizational structure. Evaluations produced mixed results and suggested several opportunities for system improvement. On average, participants were satisfied with MedSocket searches and confident in the accuracy of retrieved answers. However, MedSocket did not meet participants' expectations in terms of download speed, access to information, and relevance of the search results. These mixed results made it necessary to conclude that in the case of MedSocket, technology fit had a significant influence on the human and organization fit. Hence, improving technological capabilities of the system is critical before its net benefits can become noticeable. The HOT-fit evaluation framework was instrumental in tailoring the methodology for conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the search engine. Such multidimensional evaluation of the search engine resulted in recommendations for system improvement.

Evaluating human cancer cell metastasis in zebrafish

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teng, Yong; Xie, Xiayang; Walker, Steven; White, David T; Mumm, Jeff S; Cowell, John K

2013-01-01

In vivo metastasis assays have traditionally been performed in mice, but the process is inefficient and costly. However, since zebrafish do not develop an adaptive immune system until 14 days post-fertilization, human cancer cells can survive and metastasize when transplanted into zebrafish larvae. Despite isolated reports, there has been no systematic evaluation of the robustness of this system to date. Individual cell lines were stained with CM-Dil and injected into the perivitelline space of 2-day old zebrafish larvae. After 2-4 days fish were imaged using confocal microscopy and the number of metastatic cells was determined using Fiji software. To determine whether zebrafish can faithfully report metastatic potential in human cancer cells, we injected a series of cells with different metastatic potential into the perivitelline space of 2 day old embryos. Using cells from breast, prostate, colon and pancreas we demonstrated that the degree of cell metastasis in fish is proportional to their invasion potential in vitro. Highly metastatic cells such as MDA231, DU145, SW620 and ASPC-1 are seen in the vasculature and throughout the body of the fish after only 24–48 hours. Importantly, cells that are not invasive in vitro such as T47D, LNCaP and HT29 do not metastasize in fish. Inactivation of JAK1/2 in fibrosarcoma cells leads to loss of invasion in vitro and metastasis in vivo, and in zebrafish these cells show limited spread throughout the zebrafish body compared with the highly metastatic parental cells. Further, knockdown of WASF3 in DU145 cells which leads to loss of invasion in vitro and metastasis in vivo also results in suppression of metastasis in zebrafish. In a cancer progression model involving normal MCF10A breast epithelial cells, the degree of invasion/metastasis in vitro and in mice is mirrored in zebrafish. Using a modified version of Fiji software, it is possible to quantify individual metastatic cells in the transparent larvae to correlate with

Development and oversight of ethical health promotion quality assurance and evaluation activities involving human participants.

Science.gov (United States)

Sainsbury, Peter

2015-12-01

This paper considers the role of ethics and ethics review processes in the development of health promotion quality assurance and evaluation activities involving human participants. The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research and associated documents provide the framework for the ethical conduct and independent review of research (including quality assurance and evaluation) involving humans in Australia. Identifying the level of risk to which participants may be exposed by participation in quality assurance and evaluation activities is essential for health promotion workers undertaking such activities. Organisations can establish processes other than review by a Human Research Ethics Committee for negligible and low risk research activities. Health promotion quality assurance and evaluation activities often involve negligible and low risk to participants. Seven triggers that indicate the need for ethics review of quality assurance and evaluation activities and a procedural checklist for developing ethical quality assurance and evaluation activities are provided. Health promotion workers should be familiar with the NHMRC's National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research. When ethical considerations underpin the planning and conduct of all quality assurance and evaluation from the very beginning, the activity is the better for it, independent 'ethics approval' can mostly be secured without much trouble and workers' frustration levels are reduced. So what? Health promotion quality assurance and evaluation activities must be ethically justified. Health promotion workers should be familiar with the NHMRC's National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research and should use it when developing health promotion quality assurance and evaluation activities.

Evaluation of the CDC safe water-storage intervention to improve ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Evaluation of the CDC safe water-storage intervention to improve the microbiological quality of point-of-use drinking water in rural communities in South Africa. ... use of safe household water-storage devices and water treatment processes and improvement of hygiene and sanitation practices in these rural households.

Meeting the Pepsi Challenge: Preparing Evaluation Programs for Scholastic Improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Hopkins, Mona S.

This document provides guidelines for preparing evaluation programs for scholastic improvement. The philosophy underlying assessment and accountability is discussed, with specific reference to the positive and negative aspects of assessment. The design of a curriculum evaluation model is presented, including goal identification, data gathering,…

An improvement of the applicability of human factors guidelines for coping with human factors issues in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Y. H.; Lee, J. Y.

2003-01-01

Human factors have been well known as one of the key factors to the system effectiveness as well as the efficiency and safety of nuclear power plants(NPPs). Human factors engineering(HFE) are included in periodic safety review(PSR) on the existing NPPs and the formal safety assessment for the new ones. However, HFE for NPPs is still neither popular in practice nor concrete in methodology. Especially, the human factors guidelines, which are the most frequent form of human factors engineering in practice, reveal the limitations in their applications. We discuss the limitations and their casual factors found in human factors guidelines in order to lesson the workload of HFE practitioners and to improve the applicability of human factors guidelines. According to the purposes and the phases of HFE for NPPs, more selective items and specified criteria should be prepared carefully in the human factors guidelines for the each HFE applications in practice. These finding on the human factors guidelines can be transferred to the other HFE application field, such as military, aviation, telecommunication, HCI, and product safety

Evaluation in dogs and humans of three potential technetium-99m myocardial perfusion agents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerundini, P.; Savi, A.; Gilardi, M.C.

1986-01-01

The biodistribution of the three cationic /sup 99m/Tc complexes [/sup 99m/Tc(TMP)6]+, [/sup 99m/Tc(POM-POM)3]+, and [/sup 99m/Tc(TBIN)6]+--where TMP represents trimethylphosphite, POM-POM represents 1,2-bis(dimethyoxyphosphino)ethane, and TBIN represents t-butylisonitrile--have been evaluated in humans and dogs. Each agent was studied in three normal volunteers at rest, while [/sup 99m/Tc(POM-POM)3]+ and [/sup 99m/Tc(TBIN)6]+ were each studied in one normal volunteer at exercise. Even though all three agents yield good myocardial images in dogs, none appear suitable for clinical use as myocardial perfusion imaging radiopharmaceuticals. In humans, [/sup 99m/Tc(TMP)6]+ and [/sup 99m/Tc(POM-POM)3]+ clear very slowly from the blood and provide myocardial images only several hours after injection. [/sup 99m/Tc(TBIN)6]+ clears rapidly from the blood, but accumulation in the lung obscures the myocardial image for the first hour after injection; at later times, activity in the liver and spleen masks the apical wall. These results correlate with the blood-binding properties of the three complexes. [/sup 99m/Tc(TMP)6]+ and [/sup 99m/Tc(POM-POM)3]+ bind tightly to the plasma of human blood, but not to the plasma of dog blood; [/sup 99m/Tc(TBIN)6]+ does not bind tightly to the plasma of either dog or human blood. Among the Tc(I) complexes studied to date in humans, [/sup 99m/Tc(TBIN)6]+ appears to be unique in biodistribution pattern, blood-binding properties, and the fact that exercise improves the ultimate myocardial image. All the Tc(I) complexes appear to undergo myocardial accumulation by a mechanism different from that utilized by Tc(III) complexes. Animal studies alone are not adequate to evaluate the potential utility of /sup 99m/Tc cationic complexes for myocardial perfusion studies

Ongoing Evaluation of Clinical Ethics Consultations as a Form of Continuous Quality Improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Volpe, Rebecca

2017-01-01

Ongoing evaluation of a clinical ethics consultation service (ECS) allows for continuous quality improvement, a process-based, data-driven approach for improving the quality of a service. Evaluations by stakeholders involved in a consultation can provide real-time feedback about what is working well and what might need to be improved. Although numerous authors have previously presented data from research studies on the effectiveness of clinical ethics consultation, few ECSs routinely send evaluations as an ongoing component of their everyday clinical activities. The primary purpose of this article is to equip and encourage others to engage in ongoing evaluation of their own ECS. Toward that end, the following resources are shared: (1) the survey tool used to gather the evaluation data, (2) the procedure used to elicit and collate responses, and (3) how the resulting data are used to support continuous quality improvement and justify the continued financial support of the ECS to hospital administration. Copyright 2017 The Journal of Clinical Ethics. All rights reserved.

Does the EUA Institutional Evaluation Programme Contribute to Quality Improvement?

Science.gov (United States)

Tavares, Diana Amado; Rosa, Maria Joao; Amaral, Alberto

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to reflect on the relevance of the Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP) of the European University Association (EUA) to universities' quality improvement. It aims to analyse IEP follow-up reports to determine whether the programme contributes to the development of a quality improvement culture.…

Can an interprofessional tracheostomy team improve weaning to decannulation times? A quality improvement evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, Melissa; Catalig, Marifel; Chris, Juliana; Pataki, Janos

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous tracheostomy is a common procedure in the intensive care unit and, on patient transfer to the wards, there is a gap in ongoing tracheostomy management. There is some evidence that tracheostomy teams can shorten weaning to decannulation times. In response to lengthy weaning to decannulation times at Trillium Health Partners – Credit Valley Hospital site (Mississauga, Ontario), an interprofessional tracheostomy team, led by respiratory therapists and consisting of speech-language pathologists and intensive care physicians, was implemented. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the interprofessional tracheostomy team and its impact on time from weaning off mechanical ventilation to decannulation; and time from weaning to speech-language pathology referral. METHODS: Performance metrics were collected retrospectively through chart review pre- and post-team implementation. The primary metrics evaluated were the time from weaning off mechanical ventilation to decannulation, and time to referral to speech-language pathology. RESULTS: Following implementation of the interprofessional tracheostomy team, there was no improvement in decannulation times or time from weaning to speech-language pathology referral. A significant improvement was noted in the average time to first tracheostomy tube change (36.2 days to 22.9 days; P=0.01) and average time to speech-language pathology referral following initial tracheostomy insertion (51.8 days to 26.3 days; P=0.01). CONCLUSION: An interprofessional tracheostomy team can improve the quality of tracheostomy care through earlier tracheostomy tube changes and swallowing assessment referrals. The lack of improved weaning to decannulation time was potentially due to poor adherence with established protocols as well as a change in mechanical ventilation practices. To validate the findings from this particular institution, a more rigorous quality improvement methodology should be considered in addition to strategies to improve

Unmanned Aerial Systems: Air Force and Army Should Improve Strategic Human Capital Planning for Pilot Workforces

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

the best UAS pilot candidates, including by conducting additional research and testing a tool that measures multitasking ability, a competency...UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS Air Force and Army Should Improve Strategic Human Capital Planning for Pilot Workforces...Should Improve Strategic Human Capital Planning for Pilot Workforces What GAO Found The Air Force and the Army have not fully applied four of the five

Energy expenditure evaluation in humans and non-human primates by SenseWear Armband. Validation of energy expenditure evaluation by SenseWear Armband by direct comparison with indirect calorimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Casiraghi, Francesca; Lertwattanarak, Raweewan; Luzi, Livio; Chavez, Alberto O; Davalli, Alberto M; Naegelin, Terry; Comuzzie, Anthony G; Frost, Patricia; Musi, Nicolas; Folli, Franco

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare and validate the use of SenseWear Armband (SWA) placed on the arm (SWA ARM) and on the back (SWA BACK) in healthy humans during resting and a cycle-ergometer exercise and to evaluate the SWA to estimate Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) and Total Energy Expenditure (TEE) in healthy baboons. We studied 26 (15F/11M) human subjects wearing SWA in two different anatomical sites (arm and back) during resting and a cycle-ergometer test and directly compared these results with indirect calorimetry evaluation (IC), performed at the same time. We then inserted the SWA in a metabolic jacket for baboons and evaluated the TEE and REE in free living condition for 6 days in 21 (8F/13M) non-human primates. In humans we found a good correlation between SWA place on the ARM and on the BACK with IC during the resting experiment (1.1±0.3 SWAs, 1±0.2 IC kcal/min) and a slight underestimation in the SWAs data compared with IC during the cycle-ergometer exercise (5±1.9 SWA ARM, 4.5±1.5 SWA BACK and 5.4±2.1 IC kcal/min). In the non-human primate (baboons) experiment SWA estimated a TEE of 0.54±0.009 kcal/min during free living and a REE of 0.82±0.06 kcal/min. SWA, an extremely simple and inexpensive apparatus, provides quite accurate measurements of energy expenditure in humans and in baboons. Energy expenditure data obtained with SWA are highly correlated with the data obtained with "gold standard", IC, in humans.

SCHEME (Soft Control Human error Evaluation MEthod) for advanced MCR HRA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Inseok; Jung, Wondea; Seong, Poong Hyun

2015-01-01

The Technique for Human Error Rate Prediction (THERP), Korean Human Reliability Analysis (K-HRA), Human Error Assessment and Reduction Technique (HEART), A Technique for Human Event Analysis (ATHEANA), Cognitive Reliability and Error Analysis Method (CREAM), and Simplified Plant Analysis Risk Human Reliability Assessment (SPAR-H) in relation to NPP maintenance and operation. Most of these methods were developed considering the conventional type of Main Control Rooms (MCRs). They are still used for HRA in advanced MCRs even though the operating environment of advanced MCRs in NPPs has been considerably changed by the adoption of new human-system interfaces such as computer-based soft controls. Among the many features in advanced MCRs, soft controls are an important feature because the operation action in NPP advanced MCRs is performed by soft controls. Consequently, those conventional methods may not sufficiently consider the features of soft control execution human errors. To this end, a new framework of a HRA method for evaluating soft control execution human error is suggested by performing the soft control task analysis and the literature reviews regarding widely accepted human error taxonomies. In this study, the framework of a HRA method for evaluating soft control execution human error in advanced MCRs is developed. First, the factors which HRA method in advanced MCRs should encompass are derived based on the literature review, and soft control task analysis. Based on the derived factors, execution HRA framework in advanced MCRs is developed mainly focusing on the features of soft control. Moreover, since most current HRA database deal with operation in conventional type of MCRs and are not explicitly designed to deal with digital HSI, HRA database are developed under lab scale simulation

Contact and perspective taking improve humanness standards and perceptions of humanness of older adults and people with dementia: a cross-sectional survey study.

Science.gov (United States)

Miron, Anca M; McFadden, Susan H; Hermus, Nathan J; Buelow, Jennifer; Nazario, Amanda S; Seelman, Katarena

2017-10-01

No empirical work has systematically explored perceptions of humanness of people with dementia and of older adults and the variables that could improve these perceptions. We thus investigated the role of contact and perspective taking in improving perceptions of humanness of these social groups. To do so, we developed a new concept, humanness standards, defined as the amount of evidence of ability impairment needed to conclude that elderly people and those with dementia have lost personhood. We used a cross-sectional survey design (n = 619) to assess participants' humanness standards and perceptions of uniquely human characteristics and human nature characteristics of two social groups (people with dementia and older adults). Half the participants (n = 311) completed a survey about people with dementia and half (n = 308) assessed older adults. People with dementia were perceived as possessing humanness characteristics to a lesser extent than were older adults. For both groups, contact predicted enhanced perceptions of humanness characteristics. Participants' degree of contact with individuals with dementia also predicted humanness standards, but only under low perspective-taking conditions. As predicted, for older adults, participants set the highest humanness impairment thresholds in the high contact/high perspective-taking condition. We conclude that while social programs that bring persons with dementia and other individuals in contact could change humanness standards and perceptions of humanness characteristics of people with dementia, in the case of elderly adults, the contact must be supplemented by variables that facilitate taking the perspective of the person.

Performance in Physiology Evaluation: Possible Improvement by Active Learning Strategies

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Montrezor, Luís H.

2016-01-01

The evaluation process is complex and extremely important in the teaching/learning process. Evaluations are constantly employed in the classroom to assist students in the learning process and to help teachers improve the teaching process. The use of active methodologies encourages students to participate in the learning process, encourages…

Improved rate control for electron-beam evaporation and evaluation of optical performance improvements.

Science.gov (United States)

Gevelber, Michael; Xu, Bing; Smith, Douglas

2006-03-01

A new deposition-rate-control and electron-beam-gun (e-gun) strategy was developed that significantly reduces the growth-rate variations for e-beam-deposited SiO2 coatings. The resulting improvements in optical performance are evaluated for multilayer bandpass filters. The adverse effect of uneven silica-source depletion on coating spectral performances during long deposition runs is discussed.

Statistical evaluation of major human errors during the development of new technological systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, G; Ott, K.O.

1979-01-01

Statistical procedures are presented to evaluate major human errors during the development of a new system, errors that have led or can lead to accidents or major failures. The first procedure aims at estimating the average residual occurrence rate for s or major failures after several have occurred. The procedure is solely based on the historical record. Certain idealizations are introduced that allow the application of a sound statistical evaluation procedure. These idealizations are practically realized to a sufficient degree such that the proposed estimation procedure yields meaningful results, even for situations with a sparse data base, represented by very few accidents. Under the assumption that the possible human-error-related failure times have exponential distributions, the statistical technique of isotonic regression is proposed to estimate the failure rates due to human design error at the failure times of the system. The last value in the sequence of estimates gives the residual accident chance. In addition, theactual situation is tested against the hypothesis that the failure rate of the system remains constant over time. This test determines the chance for a decreasing failure rate being incidental, rather than an indication of an actual learning process. Both techniques can be applied not merely to a single system but to an entire series of similar systems that a technology would generate, enabling the assessment of technological improvement. For the purpose of illustration, the nuclear decay of isotopes was chosen as an example, since the assumptions of the model are rigorously satisfied in this case. This application shows satisfactory agreement of the estimated and actual failure rates (which are exactly known in this example), although the estimation was deliberately based on a sparse historical record

An evaluation approach for alarm processing improvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jung-Taek; Lee, Dong-Young; Hwang, In-Koo; Park, Jae-Chang

1997-01-01

In light of the need to improve MMIS of NPPs, the advanced I and C research team of KAERI has embarked on developing an Alarm and Diagnosis-Integrated Operator Support System, called ADIOS, to filter or suppress unnecessary or nuisance alarms and diagnose abnormality of the plant process. ADIOS has been built in an object-oriented AI environment of G-2 expert system software tool, as presented in a companion paper. ADIOS then is evaluated according to the plan in three steps; (1) preliminary tests to refine the knowledge base and inference structure of ADIOS in such a dynamic environment, and also to evaluate the appropriateness of alarm-processing algorithms; (2) to ensure correctness, consistency, and completeness in the knowledge base using COKEP (Checker Of Knowledge base using Extended Petri net); and (3) the cognitive performance evaluation using the Simulation Analyzer with a Cognitive Operator Model (SACOM) in the KAERI's Integrated Test Facility (ITF). (author). 5 figs, 1 tab

HUMAN RESOURCES EMPOWERMENT, WORKING MOTIVATION AND ORGANIZATION CHANGE IN IMPROVING HOTEL BUSINESS PERFORMANCE IN BALI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gusti Kade Sutawa

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This study aims to test and analyze impact of human resource development on working motivation of hotel business workers in Bali, impact of human resource development on organizational changes of hotel business in Bali, impact of human resource development on the performance of hotel business in Bali, impact of working motivation against organizational changes in hotel business in Bali, impact of working motivation on the organizations performance of the hotel business in Bali, and impact of organizational changes against organizations performance of the hotel business in Bali. There were 170 respondents of star-rated hotel employees which were selected through purposive sampling technique. Structural Equation Modeling with the application Analysis of Moment Structure was used to analyze the data. The results show that empowerment of human resources (HR has positive and significant impact on working motivation, organizational changes, and the organization performance of hotel business in Bali, working motivation has positive and significant impact on organizational changes and the organization performance of hotel business in Bali and organizational changes have significant and positive impact on the organization performance of hotel business in Bali. Empowerment variables have the most powerful impact to support the improvement of organizational performance, followed by organizational changes and working motivation variables. The results indicate that human resource empowerment improves the performance of the hotel business in Bali. Therefore, human resource development need to be prioritized in order to improve organizational performance of star hotels in Bali.

Universe, human immortality and future human evaluation

CERN Document Server

Bolonkin, Alexander

2011-01-01

This book debates the universe, the development of new technologies in the 21st century and the future of the human race. Dr Bolonkin shows that a human soul is only the information in a person's head. He offers a new unique method for re-writing the main brain information in chips without any damage to the human brain. This is the scientific prediction of the non-biological (electronic) civilization and immortality of the human being. Such a prognosis is predicated upon a new law, discovered by the author, for the development of complex systems. According to this law, every self-copying system tends to be more complex than the previous system, provided that all external conditions remain the same. The consequences are disastrous: humanity will be replaced by a new civilization created by intellectual robots (which Dr Bolonkin refers to as "E-humans" and "E-beings"). These creatures, whose intellectual and mechanical abilities will far exceed those of man, will require neither food nor oxygen to sustain their...

Reducing the Cost and Time to Perform a Human Factors Engineering Evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geary, L.C. Dr.

2003-01-01

The Westinghouse Savannah River Company, a contractor to the Department of Energy, has developed a new software tool for automating the Human Factors Engineering design review, analysis, and evaluation processes. The set of design guidelines, used in the tool, was obtained from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Nuclear Regulatory Guide, NUREG- 0700 - Human System Interface Design Review Guideline. This tool has been described at a previous IEEE Conference on Human Factors and Power Plants. The original software tool in NUREG- 0700 was used to evaluate a facility and a separate independent evaluation was performed using the new tool for the same facility. A comparison was made between the two different tools; both in results obtained and cost and time to complete the evaluation. The results demonstrate a five to ten fold reduction in time and cost to complete the evaluation using the newly developed tool while maintaining consistent evaluation results. The time to per form the review was measured in weeks using the new software tool rather than months using the existing NUREG-0700 tool. The new tool has been so successful that it was applied to two additional facilities with the same reduced time and cost savings. Plans have been made to use the new tool at other facilities in order to provide the same savings

Evaluating and improving the performance of thin film force sensors within body and device interfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Likitlersuang, Jirapat; Leineweber, Matthew J; Andrysek, Jan

2017-10-01

Thin film force sensors are commonly used within biomechanical systems, and at the interface of the human body and medical and non-medical devices. However, limited information is available about their performance in such applications. The aims of this study were to evaluate and determine ways to improve the performance of thin film (FlexiForce) sensors at the body/device interface. Using a custom apparatus designed to load the sensors under simulated body/device conditions, two aspects were explored relating to sensor calibration and application. The findings revealed accuracy errors of 23.3±17.6% for force measurements at the body/device interface with conventional techniques of sensor calibration and application. Applying a thin rigid disc between the sensor and human body and calibrating the sensor using compliant surfaces was found to substantially reduce measurement errors to 2.9±2.0%. The use of alternative calibration and application procedures is recommended to gain acceptable measurement performance from thin film force sensors in body/device applications. Copyright © 2017 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study on GIS Visualization in Evaluation of the Human Living Environment in Shenyang-Dalian Urban Agglomeration

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Kang Hou

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Analysis of human living environmental quality of Shenyang-Dalian urban agglomerations has important theoretical and practical significance in rapid development region. A lot of investigations have been carried for Shenyang-Dalian urban agglomerations, including 38 counties. Based on the carrying capacity of resources, natural and socioeconomic environmental factors and regional changes of human living environmental evaluation are analyzed with the application of geographic information systems (GIS software. By using principal component analysis (PCA model and natural breaks classification (NBC method, the evaluation results are divided into five categories. The results show that the human living environmental evaluation (HLEE indexes of Dalian, Shenyang, and Liaoyang are higher than other counties. Among these counties, the human living environmental evaluation (HLEE indexes of coastal counties are significantly higher than inland counties. The range of the human living environmental evaluation index in most of the study area is at III, IV, and V levels, accounting for 80.01%. Based on these results, it could illustrate the human living environment is in relatively suitable condition in Shenyang-Dalian urban agglomeration.

Concept Evaluation Using the PDSA Cycle for Continuous Quality Improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Laverentz, Delois Meyer; Kumm, Sharon

As concept-based nursing education gains popularity, there is little literature on how to sustain quality after initiation of the curriculum. Critical appraisal of concepts in a university program revealed varying definitions, attributes, and exemplars resulting in student confusion. The Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle for continuous quality improvement was used for concept evaluation. The goals of the evaluation project were: 1) to develop common definition and attributes for concepts and 2) to develop horizontal and vertical leveling of exemplars to build on prior student learning. The continuous quality improvement process can be used to prevent "concept creep" and ensure internal consistency of concept definitions, attributes, and exemplars.

Graduate public health training in healthcare of refugee asylum seekers and clinical human rights: evaluation of an innovative curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Asgary, Ramin

2016-04-01

An innovative curriculum was developed to equip public health students with appropriate attitude and skills to address healthcare of asylum seekers. Implemented in 2005 the curriculum included: (1) didactic sessions covering epidemiology and health sequelae of torture, asylum laws, and approaches to identify survivors' healthcare needs; (2) panel discussions with survivors and advocates; and (3) participating in medico-legal process of asylum seeking. Complementary mixed methods evaluations included pre- and post-curriculum questionnaires, formal curriculum evaluations, final papers and oral presentations. 125 students participated. Students showed improved knowledge regrading sequelae of abuse and survivors' healthcare needs (P health and human rights careers. As an advocacy and cultural competency training in public health practice addressing healthcare of refugees domestically, this curriculum was well received and effective, and will also help students better serve other similar populations. Population case-based domestic opportunities to teach global health and health and human rights should be effectively utilized to develop a well-equipped global health corps.

DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN THE EU CONTEXT. ASPECTS OF EVALUATION AND DIMENSIONS.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian Negrea

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The potential of any organization depends, firstly, on its human potential. Human resource, especially through managerial activity, augments the material and financial potential of any organization. On the other hand, the public administration in Romania and elsewhere has been and is subject to numerous criticisms concerning the functioning and quality of its provided services. The conducted research is characterized by a sequential approach. It begins by establishing the research goals, after that continues with establishing the research methodology, conducting effective research, presentation of the results representing the final stage of the paper. The overall objective of the conducted research is substantiating the importance of evaluation of human resources in public administration. Fulfilling this objective is done by pursuing and achieving the following general objectives: approaches to human resource management in public administration; highlighting the main aspects specific to the new public management (NPM; the new public management reform areas; corruption in public administration; conceptual approach in terms of performance and evaluation of human resources; performance measurement in public administration in Romania; basically a study showing the importance of evaluating human resources. The approach process of the human resources management in the public sector requires a particle analysis framework to be able to highlight the influence that the political side it has on its evolution. Rosembloom (1982 considers that a long time has been pursued an assimilation of values from the private into the public domain in the management process in general and of human resources in particular. In this section we try to present what are the main approaches to human resource management in public administration, focusing on their sizing and performance evaluation in relation to the volume and quality level of activities. We will also highlight

Evaluating Failures and near Misses in Human Spaceflight History for Lessons for Future Human Spaceflight

Science.gov (United States)

Barr, Stephanie

2010-01-01

Studies done in the past have drawn on lessons learned with regard to human loss-of-life events. However, an examination of near-fatal accidents can be equally useful, not only in detecting causes, both proximate and systemic, but also for determining what factors averted disaster, what design decisions and/or operator actions prevented catastrophe. Binary pass/fail launch history is often used for risk, but this also has limitations. A program with a number of near misses can look more reliable than a consistently healthy program with a single out-of-family failure. Augmenting reliability evaluations with this near miss data can provide insight and expand on the limitations of a strictly pass/fail evaluation. This paper intends to show how near-miss lessons learned can provide crucial data for any new human spaceflight programs that are interested in sending man into space

Energy Expenditure Evaluation in Humans and Non-Human Primates by SenseWear Armband. Validation of Energy Expenditure Evaluation by SenseWear Armband by Direct Comparison with Indirect Calorimetry

Science.gov (United States)

Casiraghi, Francesca; Chavez, Alberto O.; Davalli, Alberto M.; Naegelin, Terry; Comuzzie, Anthony G.; Frost, Patricia; Musi, Nicolas; Folli, Franco

2013-01-01

Introduction The purpose of this study was to compare and validate the use of SenseWear Armband (SWA) placed on the arm (SWA ARM) and on the back (SWA BACK) in healthy humans during resting and a cycle-ergometer exercise and to evaluate the SWA to estimate Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) and Total Energy Expenditure (TEE) in healthy baboons. Methods We studied 26 (15F/11M) human subjects wearing SWA in two different anatomical sites (arm and back) during resting and a cycle-ergometer test and directly compared these results with indirect calorimetry evaluation (IC), performed at the same time. We then inserted the SWA in a metabolic jacket for baboons and evaluated the TEE and REE in free living condition for 6 days in 21 (8F/13M) non-human primates. Results In humans we found a good correlation between SWA place on the ARM and on the BACK with IC during the resting experiment (1.1±0.3 SWAs, 1±0.2 IC kcal/min) and a slight underestimation in the SWAs data compared with IC during the cycle-ergometer exercise (5±1.9 SWA ARM, 4.5±1.5 SWA BACK and 5.4±2.1 IC kcal/min). In the non-human primate (baboons) experiment SWA estimated a TEE of 0.54±0.009 kcal/min during free living and a REE of 0.82±0.06 kcal/min. Conclusion SWA, an extremely simple and inexpensive apparatus, provides quite accurate measurements of energy expenditure in humans and in baboons. Energy expenditure data obtained with SWA are highly correlated with the data obtained with “gold standard”, IC, in humans. PMID:24069218

Accounting for regional variation in both natural environment and human disturbance to improve performance of multimetric indices of lotic benthic diatoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Tao; Stevenson, R Jan; Infante, Dana M

2016-10-15

Regional variation in both natural environment and human disturbance can influence performance of ecological assessments. In this study we calculated 5 types of benthic diatom multimetric indices (MMIs) with 3 different approaches to account for variation in ecological assessments. We used: site groups defined by ecoregions or diatom typologies; the same or different sets of metrics among site groups; and unmodeled or modeled MMIs, where models accounted for natural variation in metrics within site groups by calculating an expected reference condition for each metric and each site. We used data from the USEPA's National Rivers and Streams Assessment to calculate the MMIs and evaluate changes in MMI performance. MMI performance was evaluated with indices of precision, bias, responsiveness, sensitivity and relevancy which were respectively measured as MMI variation among reference sites, effects of natural variables on MMIs, difference between MMIs at reference and highly disturbed sites, percent of highly disturbed sites properly classified, and relation of MMIs to human disturbance and stressors. All 5 types of MMIs showed considerable discrimination ability. Using different metrics among ecoregions sometimes reduced precision, but it consistently increased responsiveness, sensitivity, and relevancy. Site specific metric modeling reduced bias and increased responsiveness. Combined use of different metrics among site groups and site specific modeling significantly improved MMI performance irrespective of site grouping approach. Compared to ecoregion site classification, grouping sites based on diatom typologies improved precision, but did not improve overall performance of MMIs if we accounted for natural variation in metrics with site specific models. We conclude that using different metrics among ecoregions and site specific metric modeling improve MMI performance, particularly when used together. Applications of these MMI approaches in ecological assessments

Genetically engineered mesenchymal stromal cells produce IL-3 and TPO to further improve human scaffold-based xenograft models.

Science.gov (United States)

Carretta, Marco; de Boer, Bauke; Jaques, Jenny; Antonelli, Antonella; Horton, Sarah J; Yuan, Huipin; de Bruijn, Joost D; Groen, Richard W J; Vellenga, Edo; Schuringa, Jan Jacob

2017-07-01

Recently, NOD-SCID IL2Rγ -/- (NSG) mice were implanted with human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in the presence of ceramic scaffolds or Matrigel to mimic the human bone marrow (BM) microenvironment. This approach allowed the engraftment of leukemic samples that failed to engraft in NSG mice without humanized niches and resulted in a better preservation of leukemic stem cell self-renewal properties. To further improve our humanized niche scaffold model, we genetically engineered human MSCs to secrete human interleukin-3 (IL-3) and thrombopoietin (TPO). In vitro, these IL-3- and TPO-producing MSCs were superior in expanding human cord blood (CB) CD34 + hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. MLL-AF9-transduced CB CD34 + cells could be transformed efficiently along myeloid or lymphoid lineages on IL-3- and TPO-producing MSCs. In vivo, these genetically engineered MSCs maintained their ability to differentiate into bone, adipocytes, and other stromal components. Upon transplantation of MLL-AF9-transduced CB CD34 + cells, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) developed in engineered scaffolds, in which a significantly higher percentage of myeloid clones was observed in the mouse compartments compared with previous models. Engraftment of primary AML, B-cell ALL, and biphenotypic acute leukemia (BAL) patient samples was also evaluated, and all patient samples could engraft efficiently; the myeloid compartment of the BAL samples was better preserved in the human cytokine scaffold model. In conclusion, we show that we can genetically engineer the ectopic human BM microenvironment in a humanized scaffold xenograft model. This approach will be useful for functional study of the importance of niche factors in normal and malignant human hematopoiesis. Copyright © 2017 ISEH - International Society for Experimental Hematology. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the Humanities

Science.gov (United States)

Brody, Howard

2013-01-01

How can one measure the value of teaching the humanities? The problem of assessment and accountability is prominent today, of course, in secondary and higher education. It is perhaps even more acute for those who teach the humanities in nontraditional settings, such as medical and other professional schools. The public assumes that academes can…

Assessing the Potential and Limitations of Leveraging Food Sovereignty to Improve Human Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Andrew D; Fink Shapiro, Lilly; Wilson, Mark L

2015-01-01

Food sovereignty has been defined as "the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems." Human health is an implied component of this definition through the principle of healthy food. In fact, improved human health is commonly cited as a benefit of transforming food production away from the dominant practices of industrial agriculture. Yet, does the use of "ecologically sound and sustainable methods" of food production necessarily translate into better human health outcomes? Does greater choice in defining an agricultural or food system create gains in health and well-being? We elucidate the conceptual linkages between food sovereignty and human health, critically examine the empirical evidence supporting or refuting these linkages, and identify research gaps and key priorities for the food sovereignty-human health research agenda. Five domains of food sovereignty are discussed including: (1) use of agroecological management practices for food production, (2) the localization of food production and consumption, (3) promotion of social justice and equity, (4) valuation of traditional knowledge, and (5) the transformation of economic and political institutions and structures to support self-determination. We find that although there are many plausible linkages between food sovereignty and human health, the empirical evidence in support of the hypothesis that increasing food sovereignty yields improvements to human health is weak. We propose that a concerted effort to generate new empirical evidence on the health implications of these domains of food sovereignty is urgently needed, and suggest areas of research that may be crucial for addressing the gaps in the evidence base.

Evaluating a Chronic Disease Management Improvement Collaboration: Lessons in Design and Implementation Fundamentals.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Kaye; Amar, Claudia; Elicksen-Jensen, Keesa

2016-01-01

For the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (CFHI), the Atlantic Healthcare Collaboration (AHC) was a pivotal opportunity to build upon its experience and expertise in delivering regional change management training and to apply and refine its evaluation and performance measurement approach. This paper reports on its evaluation principles and approach, as well as the lessons learned as CFHI diligently coordinated and worked with improvement project (IP) teams and a network of stakeholders to design and undertake a suite of evaluative activities. The evaluation generated evidence and learnings about various elements of chronic disease prevention and management (CDPM) improvement processes, individual and team capacity building and the role and value of CFHI in facilitating tailored learning activities and networking among teams, coaches and other AHC stakeholders.

System evaluation of improved thermal stability jet fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Binns, K.E.; Dieterle, G.L.; Williams, T. [Univ. of Dayton Research Institute, OH (United States)

1995-05-01

A single-pass, single-tube heat exchanger device called the Phoenix rig and a single-pass, dual-heat exchanger system called the Extended Duration Thermal Stability Test system are specific devices/systems developed for evaluating jet fuel thermal stability. They have been used extensively in the evaluation of various jet fuels and thermal stability additives. The test results have indicated that additives can substantially improve the thermal stability of conventional jet fuels. Relationships of oxygen consumption, residence time, bulk, and wetted wall temperatures on coking deposits that form in the heated tubes have also been investigated.

Evaluating a mobile application for improving clinical laboratory test ordering and diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Ashley N D; Thompson, Pamela J; Khanna, Arushi; Desai, Samir; Mathews, Benji K; Yousef, Elham; Kusnoor, Anita V; Singh, Hardeep

2018-04-20

Mobile applications for improving diagnostic decision making often lack clinical evaluation. We evaluated if a mobile application improves generalist physicians' appropriate laboratory test ordering and diagnosis decisions and assessed if physicians perceive it as useful for learning. In an experimental, vignette study, physicians diagnosed 8 patient vignettes with normal prothrombin times (PT) and abnormal partial thromboplastin times (PTT). Physicians made test ordering and diagnosis decisions for 4 vignettes using each resource: a mobile app, PTT Advisor, developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s Clinical Laboratory Integration into Healthcare Collaborative (CLIHC); and usual clinical decision support. Then, physicians answered questions regarding their perceptions of the app's usefulness for diagnostic decision making and learning using a modified Kirkpatrick Training Evaluation Framework. Data from 368 vignettes solved by 46 physicians at 7 US health care institutions show advantages for using PTT Advisor over usual clinical decision support on test ordering and diagnostic decision accuracy (82.6 vs 70.2% correct; P < .001), confidence in decisions (7.5 vs 6.3 out of 10; P < .001), and vignette completion time (3:02 vs 3:53 min.; P = .06). Physicians reported positive perceptions of the app's potential for improved clinical decision making, and recommended it be used to address broader diagnostic challenges. A mobile app, PTT Advisor, may contribute to better test ordering and diagnosis, serve as a learning tool for diagnostic evaluation of certain clinical disorders, and improve patient outcomes. Similar methods could be useful for evaluating apps aimed at improving testing and diagnosis for other conditions.

A study on dynamic evaluation methods for human-machine interfaces in advanced control rooms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jin Kyun

1998-02-01

Extensive efforts have been performed to reveal factors that largely affect to the safety of nuclear power plants (NPPs). Among them, human factors were known as a dominant cause of a severe accident, such as Three Mile Island and Chernobyl accidents. Thus a lot of efforts to resolve human factors related problems have been spent, and one of these efforts is an advanced control room (ACR) design to enhance human performance and the safety of NPPs. There are two important trends in the design of ACRs. The first one is increasing automation level, and the second one is the development of computer based compact workstations for control room operations including intelligent operator aid systems. However, several problems have been reported when another factors are not properly incorporated into the design of ACRs. Among them, one of the most important factors that significantly affect to operator performance is the design of human machine interfaces (HMIs). Thus, HMI evaluation should be emphasized to ensure appropriateness of HMI designs and the safety of NPPs. In general, two kinds of evaluations have been frequently used to assess appropriateness of the proposed HMI design. The one is the static evaluation and the other is the dynamic evaluation. Here, the static evaluation is the one based on guidelines that are extracted from various researches on HMI designs. And the dynamic evaluation generally attempts to evaluate and predict human performance through a model that can describe cognitive behaviors of human or interactions between HMIs and human. However, the static evaluation seems to be inappropriate because it can't properly capture context of task environment that strongly affects to human performance. In addition, in case of dynamic evaluations, development of a model that can sufficiently describe interactions or cognitive behaviors of human operators is very arduous and laborious. To overcome these problems, dynamic evaluation methods that can

On development and improvement of evaluation techniques for seismic ground motion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-08-15

Issues regarding evaluation of active fault and ground motion for formulation of design basis ground motion (Ss) were prescribed in 'NSC seismic and tsunami safety reviewing manual' in 2012. Moreover, Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) is establishing the new seismic safety guideline. In this theme following four subjects were investigated to resolve the important problems for ground motion evaluation, (1) advanced evaluation of ground motion using fault model and uncertainty; (2) improving evaluation of ground motion using attenuation relation of response spectrum; (3) development of advanced and generic techniques for ground motion observation and observation tool in deep borehole; (4) improving the evaluation of site effect and seismic wave propagation characteristics. In addition as emergency requirements from NRA following two subjects were also investigated; (5) hazard evaluation development on fault displacement; (6) ground motion evaluation at near-by source location. Obtained results will be reflected not only in the domestic guideline established by NRA but in the national safety review and also in the safety standard guidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) through its Extra-Budgetary Program (EBP), thereby contributing to technical cooperation in global nuclear seismic safety. (author)

Evaluation of three coding schemes designed for improved data communication

Science.gov (United States)

Snelsire, R. W.

1974-01-01

Three coding schemes designed for improved data communication are evaluated. Four block codes are evaluated relative to a quality function, which is a function of both the amount of data rejected and the error rate. The Viterbi maximum likelihood decoding algorithm as a decoding procedure is reviewed. This evaluation is obtained by simulating the system on a digital computer. Short constraint length rate 1/2 quick-look codes are studied, and their performance is compared to general nonsystematic codes.

Recommendations and Improvements for the Evaluation of Integrated Community-Wide Interventions Approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tessa M. van Koperen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Integrated community-wide intervention approaches (ICIAs are implemented to prevent childhood obesity. Programme evaluation improves these ICIAs, but professionals involved often struggle with performance. Evaluation tools have been developed to support Dutch professionals involved in ICIAs. It is unclear how useful these tools are to intended users. We therefore researched the facilitators of and barriers to ICIA programme evaluation as perceived by professionals and their experiences of the evaluation tools. Methods. Focus groups and interviews with 33 public health professionals. Data were analysed using a thematic content approach. Findings. Evaluation is hampered by insufficient time, budget, and experience with ICIAs, lack of leadership, and limited advocacy for evaluation. Epidemiologists are regarded as responsible for evaluation but feel incompetent to perform evaluation or advocate its need in a political environment. Managers did not prioritise process evaluations, involvement of stakeholders, and capacity building. The evaluation tools are perceived as valuable but too comprehensive considering limited resources. Conclusion. Evaluating ICIAs is important but most professionals are unfamiliar with it and management does not prioritise process evaluation nor incentivize professionals to evaluate. To optimise programme evaluation, more resources and coaching are required to improve professionals’ evaluation capabilities and specifically the use of evaluation.

Automating the Human Factors Engineering and Evaluation Processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mastromonico, C.

2002-01-01

The Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC) has developed a software tool for automating the Human Factors Engineering (HFE) design review, analysis, and evaluation processes. The tool provides a consistent, cost effective, graded, user-friendly approach for evaluating process control system Human System Interface (HSI) specifications, designs, and existing implementations. The initial set of HFE design guidelines, used in the tool, was obtained from NUREG- 0700. Each guideline was analyzed and classified according to its significance (general concept vs. supporting detail), the HSI technology (computer based vs. non-computer based), and the HSI safety function (safety vs. non-safety). Approximately 10 percent of the guidelines were determined to be redundant or obsolete and were discarded. The remaining guidelines were arranged in a Microsoft Access relational database, and a Microsoft Visual Basic user interface was provided to facilitate the HFE design review. The tool also provides the capability to add new criteria to accommodate advances in HSI technology and incorporate lessons learned. Summary reports produced by the tool can be easily ported to Microsoft Word and other popular PC office applications. An IBM compatible PC with Microsoft Windows 95 or higher is required to run the application

Motivation for Evaluation: A roadmap for Improving Program Efficacy

Science.gov (United States)

Taber, J. J.; Bohon, W.; Bravo, T. K.; Dorr, P. M.; Hubenthal, M.; Johnson, J. A.; Sumy, D. F.; Welti, R.; Davis, H. B.

2016-12-01

Over the past year, the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program has undertaken a new effort to increase the rigor with which it evaluates its programs and products. More specifically we sought to make evaluation an integral part of our EPO staff's work, enable staff to demonstrate why we do the activities we do, enhance the impact or our products and programs, and empower staff to be able to make evidence-based claims. The challenges we faced included a modest budget, finding an applicable approach to both new and legacy programs ranging from formal and informal education to public outreach, and implementing the process without overwhelming staff. The Collaborative Impact Analysis Method (IAM; Davis and Scalice, 2015) was selected as it allowed us to combine the EPO staff's knowledge of programs, audiences and content with the expertise of an outside evaluation expert, through consultations and a qualitative rubric assessing the initial state of each product/program's evaluation. Staff then developed action plans to make incremental improvements to the evaluation of programs over time. We have found that this approach promotes the development of staff knowledge and skills regarding evaluation, provides a common language among staff, increases enthusiasm to collect and share data, encourages discussions of evaluative approaches when planning new activities, and improves each program's ability to capture the intended and unintended effects on the behaviors, attitudes, skills, interests, and/or knowledge of users/participants. We will share the initial IAM Scores for products and programs in the EPO portfolio, along with examples of the action plans for several key products and programs, and the impact that implementing those actions plans has had on our evaluations. Davis, H. & Scalice, D. (2015). Evaluate the Impact of your Education and Outreach Program Using the Quantitative Collaborative Impact Analysis

Mechanical stimulation improves tissue-engineered human skeletal muscle

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, Courtney A.; Smiley, Beth L.; Mills, John; Vandenburgh, Herman H.

2002-01-01

Human bioartificial muscles (HBAMs) are tissue engineered by suspending muscle cells in collagen/MATRIGEL, casting in a silicone mold containing end attachment sites, and allowing the cells to differentiate for 8 to 16 days. The resulting HBAMs are representative of skeletal muscle in that they contain parallel arrays of postmitotic myofibers; however, they differ in many other morphological characteristics. To engineer improved HBAMs, i.e., more in vivo-like, we developed Mechanical Cell Stimulator (MCS) hardware to apply in vivo-like forces directly to the engineered tissue. A sensitive force transducer attached to the HBAM measured real-time, internally generated, as well as externally applied, forces. The muscle cells generated increasing internal forces during formation which were inhibitable with a cytoskeleton depolymerizer. Repetitive stretch/relaxation for 8 days increased the HBAM elasticity two- to threefold, mean myofiber diameter 12%, and myofiber area percent 40%. This system allows engineering of improved skeletal muscle analogs as well as a nondestructive method to determine passive force and viscoelastic properties of the resulting tissue.

[Student evaluation of anesthesiological teaching: steering instrument of a continuous improvement process].

Science.gov (United States)

Wittmann, M; Boehm, O; Thiessen, N; Hoeft, A; Knuefermann, P; Baumgarten, G

2012-07-01

The amendment to the higher education act ("Hochschulrahmengesetz") of 1998 postulates an evaluation of teaching for quality assurance. Hence, in the winter semester of 2004 the University Medical Center of Bonn introduced a semester questionnaire for students to evaluate the quality of teaching (EVALON). This evaluation is designed to be an objective benchmarking tool which is used for the distribution of university funds. It is also a steering instrument for direct improvement of teaching in clinical subjects. The aim of this study was to investigate, whether EVALON improved the quality of teaching between 2006 and 2010 and whether the department of anesthesiology improved its ranking in comparison with the other participating institutes. Data from the EVALON questionnaire from the years 2006-2010 were analyzed for improvements in the quality of teaching in anesthesiology. This study focused on three essential contents of the EVALON questionnaire (structural content and organizational procedure of lectures and seminars, course presentation), which were used for the generation of a ranking list of all participating medical institutes and departments. On the basis of these results, 12.5% of the funding was assigned for educational purposes. There was an average return rate of the questionnaires of 74.5%. A significant increase in the overall assessment score of 43.4% could be observed from 5.3 in the summer semester of 2006 to 7.6 in the winter semester of 2009/10. The evaluation score for the department of anesthesiology concerning structural content of seminars and lectures increased by 79% from 4.8 in 2006 to 8.6 in 2010. The quality of organizational procedure was evaluated with a score of 4.9 in 2006 and improved by 74% to 8.5 in 2010. The course presentation skills of the teachers as evaluated by EVALON improved by 61% from a score of 5.2 in 2006 to 8.4 in 2010. In comparison with all other participating medical institutes the department of anesthesiology

Preclinical evaluation and intraoperative human retinal imaging with a high-resolution microscope-integrated spectral domain optical coherence tomography device.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahn, Paul; Migacz, Justin; O'Donnell, Rachelle; Day, Shelley; Lee, Annie; Lin, Phoebe; Vann, Robin; Kuo, Anthony; Fekrat, Sharon; Mruthyunjaya, Prithvi; Postel, Eric A; Izatt, Joseph A; Toth, Cynthia A

2013-01-01

The authors have recently developed a high-resolution microscope-integrated spectral domain optical coherence tomography (MIOCT) device designed to enable OCT acquisition simultaneous with surgical maneuvers. The purpose of this report is to describe translation of this device from preclinical testing into human intraoperative imaging. Before human imaging, surgical conditions were fully simulated for extensive preclinical MIOCT evaluation in a custom model eye system. Microscope-integrated spectral domain OCT images were then acquired in normal human volunteers and during vitreoretinal surgery in patients who consented to participate in a prospective institutional review board-approved study. Microscope-integrated spectral domain OCT images were obtained before and at pauses in surgical maneuvers and were compared based on predetermined diagnostic criteria to images obtained with a high-resolution spectral domain research handheld OCT system (HHOCT; Bioptigen, Inc) at the same time point. Cohorts of five consecutive patients were imaged. Successful end points were predefined, including ≥80% correlation in identification of pathology between MIOCT and HHOCT in ≥80% of the patients. Microscope-integrated spectral domain OCT was favorably evaluated by study surgeons and scrub nurses, all of whom responded that they would consider participating in human intraoperative imaging trials. The preclinical evaluation identified significant improvements that were made before MIOCT use during human surgery. The MIOCT transition into clinical human research was smooth. Microscope-integrated spectral domain OCT imaging in normal human volunteers demonstrated high resolution comparable to tabletop scanners. In the operating room, after an initial learning curve, surgeons successfully acquired human macular MIOCT images before and after surgical maneuvers. Microscope-integrated spectral domain OCT imaging confirmed preoperative diagnoses, such as full-thickness macular hole

Integration of human behavior expectations in training: human behavior simulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Obeso Torices, E.

2012-01-01

The analysis of operating experience in nuclear Sta Maria de Garona point to fundamental human factor. After evaluation of the Peer Review, reinforcing behavior expectations was identified as improvement area. The human behavior simulator aims at minimizing human error. Making teamwork practices ensures that the equipment itself reinforces their behavior and performance in the work of the Central. The scope of practice to perform on the simulator includes all phases of execution. The team should analyze the best way to run, the impact of it on the ground and interaction with other sections, being the simulator training environment the situation closer to reality.

Improving Numeracy and Literacy: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary

Science.gov (United States)

Worth, Jack; Sizmur, Juliet; Ager, Rob; Styles, Ben

2015-01-01

The project, "Oxford Improving Numeracy and Literacy Programme," was delivered by Oxford University Department of Education. This evaluation tested two different initiatives with Year 2 children: "Mathematics and Reasoning" and "Literacy and Morphemes." The "Mathematics and Reasoning" programme aimed to…

Analysis of Human Errors in Industrial Incidents and Accidents for Improvement of Work Safety

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leplat, J.; Rasmussen, Jens

1984-01-01

Methods for the analysis of work accidents are discussed, and a description is given of the use of a causal situation analysis in terms of a 'variation tree' in order to explain the course of events of the individual cases and to identify possible improvements. The difficulties in identifying...... 'causes' of accidents are discussed, and it is proposed to analyze accident reports with the specific aim of identifying the potential for future improvements rather than causes of past events. In contrast to traditional statistical analysis of work accident data, which typically give very general...... recommendations, the method proposed identifies very explicit countermeasures. Improvements require a change in human decisions during equipment design, work planning, or the execution itself. The use of a model of human behavior drawing a distinction between automated skill-based behavior, rule-based 'know...

A human rights-focused HIV intervention for sex workers in Metro Manila, Philippines: evaluation of effects in a quantitative pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Urada, Lianne A; Simmons, Janie; Wong, Betty; Tsuyuki, Kiyomi; Condino-Enrera, Gerlita; Hernandez, Laufred I; Simbulan, Nymia Pimentel; Raj, Anita

2016-11-01

This study evaluated a brief human rights-focused HIV community mobilization intervention for sex workers in the Philippines, a country with one of the fastest rising number of HIV cases worldwide. Five single-session group interventions to reduce sexual risk and increase HIV testing among 86 sex workers in Manila were evaluated with pre-post-test data via Wilcoxon's signed-ranks and Mann-Whitney tests. The 4-h intervention, Kapihan (August-November, 2013), integrated human rights with HIV skill-building. Demographic data, violence/trafficking victimization, human rights knowledge, and intentions to HIV test and treat were collected. Participants were median aged 23; female (69 %); had children (55; 22 % had 3+ children); used drugs (past 3 months: 16 %); sexually/physically abused by clients (66 %); 20 % street sex workers ever took an HIV test. Pre-post-test scores significantly improved in knowledge of HIV (z = -8.895, p research participants (z = -5.081, p test (z = -4.868, p test for HIV.

An Evaluation of Automotive Interior Packages Based on Human Ocular and Joint Motor Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Yoshiyuki; Rakumatsu, Takeshi; Horiue, Masayoshi; Miyazaki, Tooru; Nishikawa, Kazuo; Nouzawa, Takahide; Tsuji, Toshio

This paper proposes a new evaluation method of an automotive interior package based on human oculomotor and joint-motor properties. Assuming the long-term driving situation in the express high way, the three evaluation indices were designed on i) the ratio of head motion at gazing the driving items; ii) the load torque for maintaining the standard driving posture; and iii) the human force manipulability at the end-point of human extremities. Experiments were carried out for two different interior packages with four subjects who have the special knowledge on the automobile development. Evaluation results demonstrate that the proposed method can quantitatively analyze the driving interior in good agreement with the generally accepted subjective opinion in the automobile industry.

[Human factors and crisis resource management: improving patient safety].

Science.gov (United States)

Rall, M; Oberfrank, S

2013-10-01

A continuing high number of patients suffer harm from medical treatment. In 60-70% of the cases the sources of harm can be attributed to the field of human factors (HFs) and teamwork; nevertheless, those topics are still neither part of medical education nor of basic and advanced training even though it has been known for many years and it has meanwhile also been demonstrated for surgical specialties that training in human factors and teamwork considerably reduces surgical mortality.Besides the medical field, the concept of crisis resource management (CRM) has already proven its worth in many other industries by improving teamwork and reducing errors in the domain of human factors. One of the best ways to learn about CRM and HFs is realistic simulation team training with well-trained instructors in CRM and HF. The educational concept of the HOTT (hand over team training) courses for trauma room training offered by the DGU integrates these elements based on the current state of science. It is time to establish such training for all medical teams in emergency medicine and operative care. Accompanying safety measures, such as the development of a positive culture of safety in every department and the use of effective critical incident reporting systems (CIRs) should be pursued.

Improved profiling of estrogen metabolites by orbitrap LC/MS

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xingnan; Franke, Adrian A.

2015-01-01

Estrogen metabolites are important biomarkers to evaluate cancer risks and metabolic diseases. Due to their low physiological levels, a sensitive and accurate method is required, especially for the quantitation of unconjugated forms of endogenous steroids and their metabolites in humans. Here, we evaluated various derivatives of estrogens for improved analysis by orbitrap LC/MS in human serum samples. A new chemical derivatization reagent was applied modifying phenolic steroids to form 1-methylimidazole-2-sulfonyl adducts. The method significantly improves the sensitivity 2–100 fold by full scan MS and targeted selected ion monitoring MS over other derivatization methods including, dansyl, picolinoyl, and pyridine-3-sulfonyl products. PMID:25543003

Evaluating methods to improve safeguards training courses of ISCN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okumura, Yukiko; Nakamura, Yo; Kawata, Norio

2014-01-01

Although questionnaires were used to receive feedbacks from participants at the end of each training course, Integrated Support Center for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Security (ISCN) of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) did not establish a structured evaluation method. To this end, ISCN has started to study on methods to accurately evaluate the courses since April and started to introduce the evaluation method on trial, according to the Donald Kirkpatrick's Four-Level Training Evaluation Model, so as to better develop and conduct more effective courses. This paper will focus on how ISCN has modified the Kirkpatrick's Four-level to adapt to its safeguards training courses. This will then be followed by two particular cases of how the evaluation method functioned for the Additional Protocol training courses held in Malaysia in 2014, and the feedbacks received to improve future training courses. (author)

Evaluating a Federated Medical Search Engine

Science.gov (United States)

Belden, J.; Williams, J.; Richardson, B.; Schuster, K.

2014-01-01

Summary Background Federated medical search engines are health information systems that provide a single access point to different types of information. Their efficiency as clinical decision support tools has been demonstrated through numerous evaluations. Despite their rigor, very few of these studies report holistic evaluations of medical search engines and even fewer base their evaluations on existing evaluation frameworks. Objectives To evaluate a federated medical search engine, MedSocket, for its potential net benefits in an established clinical setting. Methods This study applied the Human, Organization, and Technology (HOT-fit) evaluation framework in order to evaluate MedSocket. The hierarchical structure of the HOT-factors allowed for identification of a combination of efficiency metrics. Human fit was evaluated through user satisfaction and patterns of system use; technology fit was evaluated through the measurements of time-on-task and the accuracy of the found answers; and organization fit was evaluated from the perspective of system fit to the existing organizational structure. Results Evaluations produced mixed results and suggested several opportunities for system improvement. On average, participants were satisfied with MedSocket searches and confident in the accuracy of retrieved answers. However, MedSocket did not meet participants’ expectations in terms of download speed, access to information, and relevance of the search results. These mixed results made it necessary to conclude that in the case of MedSocket, technology fit had a significant influence on the human and organization fit. Hence, improving technological capabilities of the system is critical before its net benefits can become noticeable. Conclusions The HOT-fit evaluation framework was instrumental in tailoring the methodology for conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the search engine. Such multidimensional evaluation of the search engine resulted in recommendations for

Improving Language Models in Speech-Based Human-Machine Interaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raquel Justo

2013-02-01

Full Text Available This work focuses on speech-based human-machine interaction. Specifically, a Spoken Dialogue System (SDS that could be integrated into a robot is considered. Since Automatic Speech Recognition is one of the most sensitive tasks that must be confronted in such systems, the goal of this work is to improve the results obtained by this specific module. In order to do so, a hierarchical Language Model (LM is considered. Different series of experiments were carried out using the proposed models over different corpora and tasks. The results obtained show that these models provide greater accuracy in the recognition task. Additionally, the influence of the Acoustic Modelling (AM in the improvement percentage of the Language Models has also been explored. Finally the use of hierarchical Language Models in a language understanding task has been successfully employed, as shown in an additional series of experiments.

Evaluation of an institutional project to improve venous thromboembolism prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Minami, Christina A; Yang, Anthony D; Ju, Mila; Culver, Eckford; Seifert, Kathryn; Kreutzer, Lindsey; Halverson, Terri; O'Leary, Kevin J; Bilimoria, Karl Y

2016-12-01

Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) was historically a poor performer on the venous thromboembolism (VTE) outcome measure. As this measure has been shown to be flawed by surveillance bias, NMH embraced process-of-care measures to ensure appropriate VTE prophylaxis to assess healthcare-associated VTE prevention efforts. To evaluate the impact of an institution-wide project aimed at improving hospital performance on VTE prophylaxis measures. A retrospective observational study. NMH, an 885-bed academic medical center in Chicago, Illinois PATIENTS: Inpatients admitted to NMH from January 1, 2013 to May 1, 2013 and from October 1, 2014 to April 1, 2015 were eligible for evaluation. Using the define-measure-analyze-improve-control (DMAIC) process-improvement methodology, a multidisciplinary team implemented and iteratively improved 15 data-driven interventions in 4 broad areas: (1) electronic medical record (EMR) alerts, (2) education initiatives, (3) new EMR order sets, and (4) other EMR changes. The Joint Commission's 6 core measures and the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) SCIP-VTE-2 measure. Based on 3103 observations (1679 from January 1, 2013 to May 1, 2013, and 1424 from October 1, 2014 to April 1, 2015), performance on the core measures improved. Performance on measure 1 (chemoprophylaxis) improved from 82.5% to 90.2% on medicine services, and from 94.4% to 97.6% on surgical services. The largest improvements were seen in measure 4 (platelet monitoring), with a performance increase from 76.7% adherence to 100%, and measure 5 (warfarin discharge instructions), with a performance increase from 27.4% to 88.8%. A systematic hospital-wide DMAIC project improved VTE prophylaxis measure performance. Sustained performance has been observed, and novel control mechanisms for continued performance surveillance have been embedded in the hospital system. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2016;11:S29-S37. © 2016 Society of Hospital Medicine. © 2016 Society of Hospital

NAPUS 2000 Rapeseed (Brassica napus breeding for improved human nutrition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Friedt Wolfgang

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Following a competition announcement of the Federal Ministry of Research and Education (BMBF a project dealing with the improvement of the nutritional value of oilseed rape (Brassica napus for food applications and human nutrition was worked out and started in autumn 1999. A number of partners (Figure 2 are carrying out a complex project reaching from the discovery, characterisation, isolation and transfer of genes of interest up to breeding of well performing varieties combined with important agronomic traits. Economic studies and processing trials as well as nutritional investigations of the new qualities are undertaken. B. napus seed quality aspects with respect to seed coat colour, oil composition, lecithin and protein fractions and antioxidants like tocopherols and resveratrol will be improved.

Gross and histopathological evaluation of human inflicted bruises in Danish slaughter pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barington, Kristiane; Agger, Jens Frederik Gramstrup; Nielsen, Søren Saxmose

2016-01-01

Background: Human inflicted bruises in slaughter pigs are hampering animal welfare, are an infringement of the animal protection act, and are a focus of public attention. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the gross appearance of human inflicted bruises in slaughter pigs and to compare ...

Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of N13-Substituted Evodiamine Derivatives against Human Cancer Cell Lines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Senchuan Song

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Attempting to improve the anticancer activity and solubility of evodiamine in simulated gastric fluid (SGF and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF solutions, thirty-eight N13-substituted evodiamine derivatives were designed, synthesized and tested for antitumor activities against six kinds of human cancer cell lines, namely prostate cancer (DU-145 and PC-3, lung cancer (H460, breast cancer (MCF-7, colon cancer (HCT-5 and glioblastoma (SF-268. The solubility of these compounds in SGF and SIF solutions was evaluated, and apoptosis induced by 2-2, 2-3, 2-16 and 3-2 was determined. The results showed: (1 among all compounds examined, 2-16 showed the highest antitumor activity and a broader spectrum of activity, with IC50 values ranging from 1–2 µM; (2 their solubility was obviously improved; (3 2-3, 2-16 and 3-2 had a significant impact inducing apoptosis in some cancer cell lines. The preliminary structure-activity relationships of these derivatives were discussed.

Radiochemical neutron activation analysis for trace elements evaluation of human milk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gill, K.P.; Zaidi, J.H.; Ahmad, S.

2003-01-01

The principal objective pursued in this study is to establish the base-line data on the status of elemental composition in human milk from Pakistani subjects of Rawalpindi/Islamabad area. Radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) methodology was developed and successfully employed to determine the concentration of 18 minor and trace elements (essential, toxic and nonessential) in human milk. This methodology has significantly improved the detection limits of most of these elements due to suppression of Compton background. The data provide the base-line values of these elements in human milk of low- and medium-income group subjects of the region. The results obtained show good compatibility with the data reported by the WHO on elemental composition of human milk from different geological regions. (orig.)

EVALUATION OF HUMAN RELIABILITY IN SELECTED ACTIVITIES IN THE RAILWAY INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erika SUJOVÁ

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The article focuses on evaluation of human reliability in the human – machine system in the railway industry. Based on a survey of a train dispatcher and of selected activities, we have identified risk factors affecting the dispatcher‘s work and the evaluated risk level of their influence on the reliability and safety of preformed activities. The research took place at the authors‘ work place between 2012-2013. A survey method was used. With its help, authors were able to identify selected work activities of train dispatcher’s risk factors that affect his/her work and the evaluated seriousness of its in-fluence on the reliability and safety of performed activities. Amongst the most important finding fall expressions of un-clear and complicated internal regulations and work processes, a feeling of being overworked, fear for one’s safety at small, insufficiently protected stations.

On development and improvement of evaluation techniques for strong ground motion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-08-15

Issues regarding evaluation of active fault and ground motion for formulation of design basis ground motion (Ss) were identified during NISA and NSC seismic safety reviewing activities, which have been conducted in the light of the revision of the relevant seismic regulatory guide in 2006 and the experiences of the Niigataken Chuetsu-oki Earthquake in 2007 and the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake. In this theme following four subjects were investigated to resolve the important problems for ground motion evaluation, (1) advanced evaluation of ground motion using fault model and uncertainty; (2) improving evaluation of ground motion using attenuation relation of response spectrum; (3) development of advanced technique for ground motion observation and observation tool in deep borehole; (4) improving the evaluation of site effect and seismic wave propagation characteristics. Obtained results will be incorporated into the national safety review and also in the safety standard guidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) using its Extra-Budgetary Program (IAEA EBP), thereby contributing to technical cooperation in global nuclear seismic safety. (author)

Impacts of sanitation improvement on reduction of nitrogen discharges entering the environment from human excreta in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Yindong; Bu, Xiaoge; Chen, Cen; Yang, Xi; Lu, Yiren; Liang, Huijiao; Liu, Maodian; Lin, Huiming; Zhang, Haoran; Lin, Yan; Zhou, Feng; Zhao, Shen; Wu, Tianyu; Mao, Guozhu; Zhang, Wei; Wang, Xuejun

2017-09-01

Identifying the sanitation efficacy in reducing contaminations entering the environment is an important step for water pollution controls and developing management strategies to further improve sanitation conditions. With continuous efforts in sanitation improvement during the past decade, reductions in discharges of aquatic nutrients are expected in China. In this study, we estimated the aquatic nitrogen discharges from human excreta in 31 provinces in China during 2006-2014. The results indicated that the nitrogen discharges entering the environment from human excreta are largely determined by both local population and sanitation conditions. In 2014, the nitrogen discharges from human excreta in the rural areas (2118(1219-3140) Gg per year) (median and 95% confidence interval) are higher than those in the urban areas (1485(626-2495) Gg per year). The significant relationship (R 2 =0.38, n=29) between the total nitrogen concentrations in lakes and corresponding local nitrogen discharges indicated that, the lakes might be potentially affected by the contaminant inputs from human excreta. The further calculations under two policy scenarios showed that through sanitation improvement, further reduction of nitrogen discharges from human excreta in the developed regions might be limited. The sanitation improvement in the less-developed regions, such as Tibet, Qinghai, and Ningxia, should be considered a priority due to the larger reduction potentials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Human Reliability Analysis of Post- Accident Human Errors in the Low Power and Shutdown PSA of KSNP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Daeil; Kim, J. H.; Jang, S. C

2007-03-15

Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, using the ANS low power and shutdown (LPSD) probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) Standard, evaluated the LPSD PSA model of the KSNP, Yonggwang Units 5 and 6, and identified the items to be improved. The evaluation results of human reliability analysis (HRA) of the post-accident human errors in the LPSD PSA model for the KSNP showed that 10 items among 19 items of supporting requirements for those in the ANS PRA Standard were identified as them to be improved. Thus, we newly carried out a HRA for post-accident human errors in the LPSD PSA model for the KSNP. Following tasks are the improvements in the HRA of post-accident human errors of the LPSD PSA model for the KSNP compared with the previous one: Interviews with operators in the interpretation of the procedure, modeling of operator actions, and the quantification results of human errors, site visit. Applications of limiting value to the combined post-accident human errors. Documentation of information of all the input and bases for the detailed quantifications and the dependency analysis using the quantification sheets The assessment results for the new HRA results of post-accident human errors using the ANS LPSD PRA Standard show that above 80% items of its supporting requirements for post-accident human errors were graded as its Category II. The number of the re-estimated human errors using the LPSD Korea Standard HRA method is 385. Among them, the number of individual post-accident human errors is 253. The number of dependent post-accident human errors is 135. The quantification results of the LPSD PSA model for the KSNP with new HEPs show that core damage frequency (CDF) is increased by 5.1% compared with the previous baseline CDF It is expected that this study results will be greatly helpful to improve the PSA quality for the domestic nuclear power plants because they have sufficient PSA quality to meet the Category II of Supporting Requirements for the post

A Human Reliability Analysis of Post- Accident Human Errors in the Low Power and Shutdown PSA of KSNP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Daeil; Kim, J. H.; Jang, S. C.

2007-03-01

Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, using the ANS low power and shutdown (LPSD) probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) Standard, evaluated the LPSD PSA model of the KSNP, Yonggwang Units 5 and 6, and identified the items to be improved. The evaluation results of human reliability analysis (HRA) of the post-accident human errors in the LPSD PSA model for the KSNP showed that 10 items among 19 items of supporting requirements for those in the ANS PRA Standard were identified as them to be improved. Thus, we newly carried out a HRA for post-accident human errors in the LPSD PSA model for the KSNP. Following tasks are the improvements in the HRA of post-accident human errors of the LPSD PSA model for the KSNP compared with the previous one: Interviews with operators in the interpretation of the procedure, modeling of operator actions, and the quantification results of human errors, site visit. Applications of limiting value to the combined post-accident human errors. Documentation of information of all the input and bases for the detailed quantifications and the dependency analysis using the quantification sheets The assessment results for the new HRA results of post-accident human errors using the ANS LPSD PRA Standard show that above 80% items of its supporting requirements for post-accident human errors were graded as its Category II. The number of the re-estimated human errors using the LPSD Korea Standard HRA method is 385. Among them, the number of individual post-accident human errors is 253. The number of dependent post-accident human errors is 135. The quantification results of the LPSD PSA model for the KSNP with new HEPs show that core damage frequency (CDF) is increased by 5.1% compared with the previous baseline CDF It is expected that this study results will be greatly helpful to improve the PSA quality for the domestic nuclear power plants because they have sufficient PSA quality to meet the Category II of Supporting Requirements for the post

Process evaluation of the human reliability data bank

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, D.P.; Comer, K.

1985-01-01

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Sandia National Laboratories have been developing a plan for a human reliability data bank since August 1981. This research is in response to the data need of the nuclear power industry's probabilistic risk assessment community. The three phases of the program are to: (a) develop the data bank concept, (b) develop an implementation plan and conduct a process evaluation, and (c) assist a sponsor in implementing the data bank. The program is now in Phase B. This paper describes the methods used and the results of the process evaluation. Decisions to be made in the future regarding full-scale implementation will be based, in part, on the outcome of this study

Process evaluation of the human reliability data bank

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, D.P.; Comer, K.

1984-01-01

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Sandia National Laboratories have been developing a plan for a human reliability data bank since August 1981. This research is in response to the data needs of the nuclear power industry's probabilistic risk assessment community. The three phases of the program are to: (A) develop the data bank concept, (B) develop an implementation plan and conduct a process evaluation, and (C) assist a sponsor in implementing the data bank. The program is now in Phase B. This paper describes the methods used and the results of the process evaluation. Decisions to be made in the future regarding full-scale implementation will be based in part on the outcome of this study

Systematic analysis and the overall toxicity evaluation of dioxins and hexachlorobenzene in human milk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saito, K.; Ogawa, M.; Takekuma, M.; Ohmura, A. [Dioxin Reasearch Group, Saitama Institute of Public Health, Saitama (Japan); Kawaguchi, M.; Ito, R.; Nakazawa, H. [Hoshi Univ., Tokyo (Japan). Dept. of Analytical Chemistry; Matsuki, Y. [Japan Food Hygiene Association, Tokyo (Japan). Inst. of Food Hygiene

2004-09-15

The hexachlorobenzene (HCB), a type of organochlorine pesticide (OCP), was used as a fungicide for seed, and as a wood preservative. Also, HCB exists in the by-products found in the manufacturing process of chlorinated organic chemicals, and is generated by garbage incineration. The HCB is a so-called, unintended toxic pollutant as well as dioxins, and HCB is then specified for Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). According to a recent study, it was pointed out that HCB binds to the aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor, resulting in dioxin-like effects and bioaccumulates. Therefore, the overall toxicity evaluation of dioxins and HCB in human body, especially in human milk, should be examined, because HCB is universally detected in human milk. Until now, many studies regarding the dioxins or OCPs polluted in human milk have been reported. However, there are only a few reports that analyze both dioxins and HCB in the same sample, because repeated sampling and large amounts of samples of human milk were generally difficult to acquire. Moreover, few studies are available for the overall toxicity evaluation of dioxins and HCB in human milk. The aim of the present study was to develop the systematic analysis method of dioxins and HCB, and to obtain additional information about the overall toxicity evaluation of dioxins and HCB in human milk. The correlation between the HCB residue level and each dioxin isomer in the human milk was also considered.

Investigation and evaluation into the usability of human-computer interfaces using a typical CAD system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rickett, J D

1987-01-01

This research program covers three topics relating to the human-computer interface namely, voice recognition, tools and techniques for evaluation, and user and interface modeling. An investigation into the implementation of voice-recognition technologies examines how voice recognizers may be evaluated in commercial software. A prototype system was developed with the collaboration of FEMVIEW Ltd. (marketing a CAD package). A theoretical approach to evaluation leads to the hypothesis that human-computer interaction is affected by personality, influencing types of dialogue, preferred methods for providing helps, etc. A user model based on personality traits, or habitual-behavior patterns (HBP) is presented. Finally, a practical framework is provided for the evaluation of human-computer interfaces. It suggests that evaluation is an integral part of design and that the iterative use of evaluation techniques throughout the conceptualization, design, implementation and post-implementation stages will ensure systems that satisfy the needs of the users and fulfill the goal of usability.

Learning Evaluation: blending quality improvement and implementation research methods to study healthcare innovations.

Science.gov (United States)

Balasubramanian, Bijal A; Cohen, Deborah J; Davis, Melinda M; Gunn, Rose; Dickinson, L Miriam; Miller, William L; Crabtree, Benjamin F; Stange, Kurt C

2015-03-10

In healthcare change interventions, on-the-ground learning about the implementation process is often lost because of a primary focus on outcome improvements. This paper describes the Learning Evaluation, a methodological approach that blends quality improvement and implementation research methods to study healthcare innovations. Learning Evaluation is an approach to multi-organization assessment. Qualitative and quantitative data are collected to conduct real-time assessment of implementation processes while also assessing changes in context, facilitating quality improvement using run charts and audit and feedback, and generating transportable lessons. Five principles are the foundation of this approach: (1) gather data to describe changes made by healthcare organizations and how changes are implemented; (2) collect process and outcome data relevant to healthcare organizations and to the research team; (3) assess multi-level contextual factors that affect implementation, process, outcome, and transportability; (4) assist healthcare organizations in using data for continuous quality improvement; and (5) operationalize common measurement strategies to generate transportable results. Learning Evaluation principles are applied across organizations by the following: (1) establishing a detailed understanding of the baseline implementation plan; (2) identifying target populations and tracking relevant process measures; (3) collecting and analyzing real-time quantitative and qualitative data on important contextual factors; (4) synthesizing data and emerging findings and sharing with stakeholders on an ongoing basis; and (5) harmonizing and fostering learning from process and outcome data. Application to a multi-site program focused on primary care and behavioral health integration shows the feasibility and utility of Learning Evaluation for generating real-time insights into evolving implementation processes. Learning Evaluation generates systematic and rigorous cross

Dynamic online peer evaluations to improve group assignments in nursing e-learning environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Adwan, Jehad

2016-06-01

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the use of online peer evaluation forms for online group activities in improving group project outcomes. The investigator developed and used a web-based Google Forms® self and peer evaluation form of 2 group assignments' rubric for junior and senior nursing students. The form covered elements of the assignments including: research activity, analysis of the literature, writing of report, participation in making of presentation, overall contribution to the project, and participation in the weekly group discussions. Items were rated from 1 (did not contribute) to 5 (outstanding contribution) in addition to NA when one activity did not apply. The self and peer evaluation process was conducted twice: once after group assignment 1 and once after group assignment 2. The group assignments final products were done in the form of VoiceThread online presentations that were shared with the rest of the class reflecting the groups' work on a health informatics topic of interest. Data collected as the students completed self and peer evaluations for group assignments 1 and 2. Also, optional comments regarding member performance were collected to add contextual information in addition to ratings. Students received credit for completing the peer evaluations and the grade for the particular assignment was affected by their performance based on peer evaluations of their contributions. Students' peer evaluations showed in a color-coded spreadsheet which enabled the course faculty to view real time results of students' ratings after each assignment. The faculty provided timely and tailored feedback to groups or individuals as needed, using positive feedback and commending high performance while urging struggling individual students and groups to improve lower ratings in specific areas. Comparing evaluations of both assignments, there were statistically significant improvements among all students. The mean scores of the entire sample were

Aligning Evaluation Results and Professional Development: Driving Systemic Human Capital Management Reform

Science.gov (United States)

Behrstock-Sherratt, Ellen; Jacques, Catherine

2012-01-01

This brief provides district and other educational leaders with research-based information on aligning professional development policies with teacher evaluations to drive more comprehensive human capital management. First, this brief describes an aligned evaluation and professional development system. Next, it discusses existing models and…

Genetic engineering of human NK cells to express CXCR2 improves migration to renal cell carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Kremer, Veronika; Ligtenberg, Maarten A; Zendehdel, Rosa; Seitz, Christina; Duivenvoorden, Annet; Wennerberg, Erik; Colón, Eugenia; Scherman-Plogell, Ann-Helén; Lundqvist, Andreas

2017-09-19

Adoptive natural killer (NK) cell transfer is being increasingly used as cancer treatment. However, clinical responses have so far been limited to patients with hematological malignancies. A potential limiting factor in patients with solid tumors is defective homing of the infused NK cells to the tumor site. Chemokines regulate the migration of leukocytes expressing corresponding chemokine receptors. Various solid tumors, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC), readily secrete ligands for the chemokine receptor CXCR2. We hypothesize that infusion of NK cells expressing high levels of the CXCR2 chemokine receptor will result in increased influx of the transferred NK cells into tumors, and improved clinical outcome in patients with cancer. Blood and tumor biopsies from 14 primary RCC patients were assessed by flow cytometry and chemokine analysis. Primary NK cells were transduced with human CXCR2 using a retroviral system. CXCR2 receptor functionality was determined by Calcium flux and NK cell migration was evaluated in transwell assays. We detected higher concentrations of CXCR2 ligands in tumors compared with plasma of RCC patients. In addition, CXCL5 levels correlated with the intratumoral infiltration of CXCR2-positive NK cells. However, tumor-infiltrating NK cells from RCC patients expressed lower CXCR2 compared with peripheral blood NK cells. Moreover, healthy donor NK cells rapidly lost their CXCR2 expression upon in vitro culture and expansion. Genetic modification of human primary NK cells to re-express CXCR2 improved their ability to specifically migrate along a chemokine gradient of recombinant CXCR2 ligands or RCC tumor supernatants compared with controls. The enhanced trafficking resulted in increased killing of target cells. In addition, while their functionality remained unchanged compared with control NK cells, CXCR2-transduced NK cells obtained increased adhesion properties and formed more conjugates with target cells. To increase the success of NK

Improving human performance: Industry factors influencing the ability to perform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Güera Massyn Romo

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Learning interventions and new technologies that aim to improve human performance must take cognisance of industry factors inhibiting human performance. The dynamic and fast pace nature of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT and the engineering industries do not lend themselves to proper skills planning and management. These industries experience real skills gaps, to some of which they contribute by themselves. This study reports on these performance-inhibiting factors such as the underutilisation of available skills, tolerance for individual preferences, and dynamically, and informally refining a role objective while an employee is occupying a certain role. The important professional skills required by individuals to cope with these real life factors are also explored in the skills gaps management context. Moreover, these industries need a profile they refer to as Special Forces, which denotes a high calibre of worker that possesses well-developed professional skills whilst having advanced technical expertise and sufficient experience. This resource profile is required largely due to the poor management of human resource processes in practice and the current reported lack of adequate skills. Furthermore, this study refers to the recent lack of a working definition for these Special Forces leading to the omitted active development of these profiles in industry today, which appears to become a key human performance inhibiting factor.

Human health improvement in Sub-Saharan Africa through integrated management of arthropod transmitted diseases and natural resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baumgärtner Johann

2001-01-01

Full Text Available A concept of an ecosystem approach to human health improvement in Sub-Saharan Africa is presented here. Three factors mainly affect the physical condition of the human body: the abiotic environment, vector-transmitted diseases, and natural resources. Our concept relies on ecological principles embedded in a social context and identifies three sets of subsystems for study and management: human disease subsystems, natural resource subsystems, and decision-support subsystems. To control human diseases and to secure food from resource subsystems including livestock or crops, integrated preventive approaches are preferred over exclusively curative and sectorial approaches. Environmental sustainability - the basis for managing matter and water flows - contributes to a healthy human environment and constitutes the basis for social sustainability. For planning and implementation of the human health improvement scheme, participatory decision-support subsystems adapted to the local conditions need to be designed through institutional arrangements. The applicability of this scheme is demonstrated in urban and rural Ethiopia.

Human health improvement in Sub-Saharan Africa through integrated management of arthropod transmitted diseases and natural resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johann Baumgärtner

Full Text Available A concept of an ecosystem approach to human health improvement in Sub-Saharan Africa is presented here. Three factors mainly affect the physical condition of the human body: the abiotic environment, vector-transmitted diseases, and natural resources. Our concept relies on ecological principles embedded in a social context and identifies three sets of subsystems for study and management: human disease subsystems, natural resource subsystems, and decision-support subsystems. To control human diseases and to secure food from resource subsystems including livestock or crops, integrated preventive approaches are preferred over exclusively curative and sectorial approaches. Environmental sustainability - the basis for managing matter and water flows - contributes to a healthy human environment and constitutes the basis for social sustainability. For planning and implementation of the human health improvement scheme, participatory decision-support subsystems adapted to the local conditions need to be designed through institutional arrangements. The applicability of this scheme is demonstrated in urban and rural Ethiopia.

Human health improvement in Sub-Saharan Africa through integrated management of arthropod transmitted diseases and natural resources.

Science.gov (United States)

Baumgärtner, J; Bieri, M; Buffoni, G; Gilioli, G; Gopalan, H; Greiling, J; Tikubet, G; Van Schayk, I

2001-01-01

A concept of an ecosystem approach to human health improvement in Sub-Saharan Africa is presented here. Three factors mainly affect the physical condition of the human body: the abiotic environment, vector-transmitted diseases, and natural resources. Our concept relies on ecological principles embedded in a social context and identifies three sets of subsystems for study and management: human disease subsystems, natural resource subsystems, and decision-support subsystems. To control human diseases and to secure food from resource subsystems including livestock or crops, integrated preventive approaches are preferred over exclusively curative and sectorial approaches. Environmental sustainability - the basis for managing matter and water flows - contributes to a healthy human environment and constitutes the basis for social sustainability. For planning and implementation of the human health improvement scheme, participatory decision-support subsystems adapted to the local conditions need to be designed through institutional arrangements. The applicability of this scheme is demonstrated in urban and rural Ethiopia.

Improved memory for reward cues following acute buprenorphine administration in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Syal, Supriya; Ipser, Jonathan; Terburg, David; Solms, Mark; Panksepp, Jaak; Malcolm-Smith, Susan; Bos, Peter A; Montoya, Estrella R; Stein, Dan J; van Honk, Jack

2015-03-01

In rodents, there is abundant evidence for the involvement of the opioid system in the processing of reward cues, but this system has remained understudied in humans. In humans, the happy facial expression is a pivotal reward cue. Happy facial expressions activate the brain's reward system and are disregarded by subjects scoring high on depressive mood who are low in reward drive. We investigated whether a single 0.2mg administration of the mixed mu-opioid agonist/kappa-antagonist, buprenorphine, would influence short-term memory for happy, angry or fearful expressions relative to neutral faces. Healthy human subjects (n38) participated in a randomized placebo-controlled within-subject design, and performed an emotional face relocation task after administration of buprenorphine and placebo. We show that, compared to placebo, buprenorphine administration results in a significant improvement of memory for happy faces. Our data demonstrate that acute manipulation of the opioid system by buprenorphine increases short-term memory for social reward cues. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Improving utility conservation programs: outcomes, interventions, and evaluations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Condelli, L; Archer, D; Aronson, E; Curbow, B; McLeod, B; Pettigrew, T F; White, L T; Yates, S

1984-06-01

Four major California utility companies have active energy conservation programs mandated by the State's Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). These companies evaluate their programs and send reports of the evaluations to the CPUC. A review of 213 of these reports revealed a marketing research approach toward promoting conservation. Advertising and informational campaigns characterize most programs, and attitudes and self-reported behavior were the major outcome measures. This approach is shown to be ineffective. Suggestions for improvement include: (1) the use of actual energy consumption as the primary outcome measure in evaluating conservation programs; (2) the abandonment of conventional advertising, and the use of it only for the promotion of ''hard'' interventions; (3) increased use of social diffusion methods to disseminate information; (4) the design of more effective educational material by incorporating cognitive social psychological principles; and (5) the utilization of ''hard'' interventions that have a direct, verifiable link to conservation.

Analysis of Academic Administrators' Attitudes: Annual Evaluations and Factors That Improve Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Cherry, Brian D.; Grasse, Nathan; Kapla, Dale; Hamel, Brad

2017-01-01

This article examines academic administrators' attitudes towards the academic evaluation process in the US and those factors that are utilised to improve teaching. We use path regressions to examine satisfaction with evaluation procedures, as well as the direct and indirect effects of these factors on perceptions of whether the evaluation process…

Criteria for the Evaluation of Quality Improvement Programs and the Use of Quality Improvement Data

Science.gov (United States)

American Psychologist, 2009

2009-01-01

This document provides a set of criteria to be used by psychologists in evaluating quality improvement programs (QIPs) that have been promulgated by health care organizations, government agencies, professional associations, or other entities. These criteria also address the privacy and confidentiality issues evoked by the intended use of patient…

Improvement of human operator vibroprotection system in the utility machine

Science.gov (United States)

Korchagin, P. A.; Teterina, I. A.; Rahuba, L. F.

2018-01-01

The article is devoted to an urgent problem of improving efficiency of road-building utility machines in terms of improving human operator vibroprotection system by determining acceptable values of the rigidity coefficients and resistance coefficients of operator’s cab suspension system elements and those of operator’s seat. Negative effects of vibration result in labour productivity decrease and occupational diseases. Besides, structure vibrations have a damaging impact on the machine units and mechanisms, which leads to reducing an overall service life of the machine. Results of experimental and theoretical research of operator vibroprotection system in the road-building utility machine are presented. An algorithm for the program to calculate dynamic impacts on the operator in terms of different structural and performance parameters of the machine and considering combination of external pertrubation influences was proposed.

The Problem of Evaluative Categorization of Human Intelligence in Linguistic World Images

Science.gov (United States)

Abisheva, Klara M.; Dossanova, Altynay Zh.; Ismakova, Bibissara S.; Aupova, Gulbagira K.; Ayapbergenov, Bulat K.; Tlegenova, Kulyan A.

2016-01-01

The aim of the research is to determine the peculiarities of the evaluative categorization of human intelligence in linguistic world images. The study describes the interdisciplinary approach to studying evaluative categorization, which assumes the use of complex methodology including the anthropocentric, the interdisciplinary, and the cognitive…

Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil lower anxiety, improve cognitive functions and reduce spontaneous locomotor activity in a non-human primate.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nina Vinot

Full Text Available Omega-3 (ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA are major components of brain cells membranes. ω3 PUFA-deficient rodents exhibit severe cognitive impairments (learning, memory that have been linked to alteration of brain glucose utilization or to changes in neurotransmission processes. ω3 PUFA supplementation has been shown to lower anxiety and to improve several cognitive parameters in rodents, while very few data are available in primates. In humans, little is known about the association between anxiety and ω3 fatty acids supplementation and data are divergent about their impact on cognitive functions. Therefore, the development of nutritional studies in non-human primates is needed to disclose whether a long-term supplementation with long-chain ω3 PUFA has an impact on behavioural and cognitive parameters, differently or not from rodents. We address the hypothesis that ω3 PUFA supplementation could lower anxiety and improve cognitive performances of the Grey Mouse Lemur (Microcebus murinus, a nocturnal Malagasy prosimian primate. Adult male mouse lemurs were fed for 5 months on a control diet or on a diet supplemented with long-chain ω3 PUFA (n = 6 per group. Behavioural, cognitive and motor performances were measured using an open field test to evaluate anxiety, a circular platform test to evaluate reference spatial memory, a spontaneous locomotor activity monitoring and a sensory-motor test. ω3-supplemented animals exhibited lower anxiety level compared to control animals, what was accompanied by better performances in a reference spatial memory task (80% of successful trials vs 35% in controls, p<0.05, while the spontaneous locomotor activity was reduced by 31% in ω3-supplemented animals (p<0.001, a parameter that can be linked with lowered anxiety. The long-term dietary ω3 PUFA supplementation positively impacts on anxiety and cognitive performances in the adult mouse lemur. The supplementation of human food with ω3 fatty

Evaluation and Improvement of Lighting Efficiency in Working Spaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Castillo-Martinez

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Lighting is an essential element for modern life, promoting a sense of wellbeing for users. However, bad illumination may produce health problems such as headaches and fatigue, among other vision problems. For that reason, this paper proposes the development of a smartphone-based application to help in lighting evaluation to guarantee the compliance of illumination regulations and to help increase illuminance efficiency, reducing its energy consumption. To perform this evaluation, the smartphone can be used as a lighting measurement tool, evaluating those measurements through an intelligent agent based in rules capable of guiding the decision-making process. As a result, this tool allows the evaluation of the real working environment to guarantee lighting requirements, helping in the prevention of health problems derived from bad illumination and improving the lighting efficiency at the same time.

Proceedings of the workshop on better nuclear plant maintenance: improving human and organisational performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2007-04-05

A significant proportion of nuclear plant events is attributable to failures that take place during maintenance and periodic testing. Human and organisational factors are frequently identified as making a major contribution to these events. Despite this recognition, licensee and regulatory oversight in the human and organisational area has tended to focus more on operational matters than maintenance. Owing to the importance of human and organisational performance on nuclear plant maintenance, the CSNI Special Experts' Group on Human and Organisational Factors (SEGHOF) hosted a workshop entitled 'Better nuclear plant maintenance: improving human and organisational performance'. The workshop provided an international forum for staff from nuclear plants, research bodies, and regulators to discuss human and organisational challenges to maintenance, and initiatives to support effective performance. Over 60 participants from about 20 countries participated. The workshop was divided into five sessions: 1) International guidance to improve maintenance performance; 2) Lessons learned through maintenance operating experience; 3) Licensee initiatives to support reliable maintenance; 4) Regulatory approaches to assuring effective licensee maintenance; and 5) Recent trends and their impact on maintenance. Sessions commenced with oral presentations of papers followed by break-out and plenary discussions. Session 4 on regulatory approaches included short presentations from ten regulatory bodies and was followed by discussion comparing these approaches. The main findings of the workshop concern: the retirements of experienced staff; the increasing use of contractors to perform maintenance activities; the use of skill-broadening in maintenance; the role of supervisors at the plant level; the organisational changes that are used to optimise the use of plant staff resources; the effective planning of maintenance tasks; the time allowed to complete maintenance tasks; the development

Single chain Fc-dimer-human growth hormone fusion protein for improved drug delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Li; Wang, Hsuan-Yao; Tong, Shanshan; Okamoto, Curtis T; Shen, Wei-Chiang; Zaro, Jennica L

2017-02-01

Fc fusion protein technology has been successfully used to generate long-acting forms of several protein therapeutics. In this study, a novel Fc-based drug carrier, single chain Fc-dimer (sc(Fc) 2 ), was designed to contain two Fc domains recombinantly linked via a flexible linker. Since the Fc dimeric structure is maintained through the flexible linker, the hinge region was omitted to further stabilize it against proteolysis and reduce FcγR-related effector functions. The resultant sc(Fc) 2 candidate preserved the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) binding. sc(Fc) 2 -mediated delivery was then evaluated using a therapeutic protein with a short plasma half-life, human growth hormone (hGH), as the protein drug cargo. This novel carrier protein showed a prolonged in vivo half-life and increased hGH-mediated bioactivity compared to the traditional Fc-based drug carrier. sc(Fc) 2 technology has the potential to greatly advance and expand the use of Fc-technology for improving the pharmacokinetics and bioactivity of protein therapeutics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Networking to Improve Nutrition Policy Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sonia A; Blanck, Heidi M; Cradock, Angie; Gortmaker, Steven

2015-09-10

Effective nutrition and obesity policies that improve the food environments in which Americans live, work, and play can have positive effects on the quality of human diets. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network (NOPREN) conducts transdisciplinary practice-based policy research and evaluation to foster understanding of the effectiveness of nutrition policies. The articles in this special collection bring to light a set of policies that are being used across the United States. They add to the larger picture of policies that can work together over time to improve diet and health.

Human factors considerations in the design and evaluation of flight deck displays and controls

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-01

The objective of this effort is to have a single source document for human factors regulatory and guidance material for flight deck displays and controls, in the interest of improving aviation safety. This document identifies guidance on human factor...

Human Factors Review Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paramore, B.; Peterson, L.R.

1985-12-01

''Human Factors'' is concerned with the incorporation of human user considerations into a system in order to maximize human reliability and reduce errors. This Review Plan is intended to assist in the assessment of human factors conditions in existing DOE facilities. In addition to specifying assessment methodologies, the plan describes techniques for improving conditions which are found to not adequately support reliable human performance. The following topics are addressed: (1) selection of areas for review describes techniques for needs assessment to assist in selecting and prioritizing areas for review; (2) human factors engineering review is concerned with optimizing the interfaces between people and equipment and people and their work environment; (3) procedures review evaluates completeness and accuracy of procedures, as well as their usability and management; (4) organizational interface review is concerned with communication and coordination between all levels of an organization; and (5) training review evaluates training program criteria such as those involving: trainee selection, qualification of training staff, content and conduct of training, requalification training, and program management

Human Factors Review Plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paramore, B.; Peterson, L.R. (eds.)

1985-12-01

''Human Factors'' is concerned with the incorporation of human user considerations into a system in order to maximize human reliability and reduce errors. This Review Plan is intended to assist in the assessment of human factors conditions in existing DOE facilities. In addition to specifying assessment methodologies, the plan describes techniques for improving conditions which are found to not adequately support reliable human performance. The following topics are addressed: (1) selection of areas for review describes techniques for needs assessment to assist in selecting and prioritizing areas for review; (2) human factors engineering review is concerned with optimizing the interfaces between people and equipment and people and their work environment; (3) procedures review evaluates completeness and accuracy of procedures, as well as their usability and management; (4) organizational interface review is concerned with communication and coordination between all levels of an organization; and (5) training review evaluates training program criteria such as those involving: trainee selection, qualification of training staff, content and conduct of training, requalification training, and program management.

A Human-Robot Co-Manipulation Approach Based on Human Sensorimotor Information.

Science.gov (United States)

Peternel, Luka; Tsagarakis, Nikos; Ajoudani, Arash

2017-07-01

This paper aims to improve the interaction and coordination between the human and the robot in cooperative execution of complex, powerful, and dynamic tasks. We propose a novel approach that integrates online information about the human motor function and manipulability properties into the hybrid controller of the assistive robot. Through this human-in-the-loop framework, the robot can adapt to the human motor behavior and provide the appropriate assistive response in different phases of the cooperative task. We experimentally evaluate the proposed approach in two human-robot co-manipulation tasks that require specific complementary behavior from the two agents. Results suggest that the proposed technique, which relies on a minimum degree of task-level pre-programming, can achieve an enhanced physical human-robot interaction performance and deliver appropriate level of assistance to the human operator.

Evaluating human genetic diversity

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

This book assesses the scientific value and merit of research on human genetic differences--including a collection of DNA samples that represents the whole of human genetic diversity--and the ethical...

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4A improves hepatic differentiation of immortalized adult human hepatocytes and improves liver function and survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Hang, Hua-Lian; Liu, Xin-Yu; Wang, Hai-Tian; Xu, Ning; Bian, Jian-Min; Zhang, Jian-Jun; Xia, Lei; Xia, Qiang

2017-11-15

Immortalized human hepatocytes (IHH) could provide an unlimited supply of hepatocytes, but insufficient differentiation and phenotypic instability restrict their clinical application. This study aimed to determine the role of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4A (HNF4A) in hepatic differentiation of IHH, and whether encapsulation of IHH overexpressing HNF4A could improve liver function and survival in rats with acute liver failure (ALF). Primary human hepatocytes were transduced with lentivirus-mediated catalytic subunit of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) to establish IHH. Cells were analyzed for telomerase activity, proliferative capacity, hepatocyte markers, and tumorigenicity (c-myc) expression. Hepatocyte markers, hepatocellular functions, and morphology were studied in the HNF4A-overexpressing IHH. Hepatocyte markers and karyotype analysis were completed in the primary hepatocytes using shRNA knockdown of HNF4A. Nuclear translocation of β-catenin was assessed. Rat models of ALF were treated with encapsulated IHH or HNF4A-overexpressing IHH. A HNF4A-positive IHH line was established, which was non-tumorigenic and conserved properties of primary hepatocytes. HNF4A overexpression significantly enhanced mRNA levels of genes related to hepatic differentiation in IHH. Urea levels were increased by the overexpression of HNF4A, as measured 24h after ammonium chloride addition, similar to that of primary hepatocytes. Chromosomal abnormalities were observed in primary hepatocytes transfected with HNF4A shRNA. HNF4α overexpression could significantly promote β-catenin activation. Transplantation of HNF4A overexpressing IHH resulted in better liver function and survival of rats with ALF compared with IHH. HNF4A improved hepatic differentiation of IHH. Transplantation of HNF4A-overexpressing IHH could improve the liver function and survival in a rat model of ALF. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Human factors evaluation of remote afterloading brachytherapy. Volume 2, Function and task analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Callan, J.R.; Gwynne, J.W. III; Kelly, T.T.; Muckler, F.A. [Pacific Science and Engineering Group, San Diego, CA (United States); Saunders, W.M.; Lepage, R.P.; Chin, E. [University of California San Diego Medical Center, CA (United States). Div. of Radiation Oncology; Schoenfeld, I.; Serig, D.I. [Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States). Div. of Systems Technology

1995-05-01

A human factors project on the use of nuclear by-product material to treat cancer using remotely operated afterloaders was undertaken by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The purpose of the project was to identify factors that contribute to human error in the system for remote afterloading brachytherapy (RAB). This report documents the findings from the first phase of the project, which involved an extensive function and task analysis of RAB. This analysis identified the functions and tasks in RAB, made preliminary estimates of the likelihood of human error in each task, and determined the skills needed to perform each RAB task. The findings of the function and task analysis served as the foundation for the remainder of the project, which evaluated four major aspects of the RAB system linked to human error: human-system interfaces; procedures and practices; training and qualifications of RAB staff; and organizational practices and policies. At its completion, the project identified and prioritized areas for recommended NRC and industry attention based on all of the evaluations and analyses.

Identification and Evaluation of Human Factors Issues Associated with Emerging Nuclear Plant Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Hara, J.M.; Higgins, J.; Brown, William S.

2009-01-01

This study has identified human performance research issues associated with the implementation of new technology in nuclear power plants (NPPs). To identify the research issues, current industry developments and trends were evaluated in the areas of reactor technology, instrumentation and control technology, human-system integration technology, and human factors engineering (HFE) methods and tools. The issues were prioritized into four categories based on evaluations provided by 14 independent subject matter experts representing vendors, utilities, research organizations and regulators. Twenty issues were categorized into the top priority category. The study also identifies the priority of each issue and the rationale for those in the top priority category. The top priority issues were then organized into research program areas of: New Concepts of Operation using Multi-agent Teams, Human-system Interface Design, Complexity Issues in Advanced Systems, Operating Experience of New and Modernized Plants, and HFE Methods and Tools. The results can serve as input to the development of a long-term strategy and plan for addressing human performance in these areas to support the safe operation of new NPPs.

Human factors evaluation of remote afterloading brachytherapy. Volume 2, Function and task analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Callan, J.R.; Gwynne, J.W. III; Kelly, T.T.; Muckler, F.A.; Saunders, W.M.; Lepage, R.P.; Chin, E.; Schoenfeld, I.; Serig, D.I.

1995-05-01

A human factors project on the use of nuclear by-product material to treat cancer using remotely operated afterloaders was undertaken by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The purpose of the project was to identify factors that contribute to human error in the system for remote afterloading brachytherapy (RAB). This report documents the findings from the first phase of the project, which involved an extensive function and task analysis of RAB. This analysis identified the functions and tasks in RAB, made preliminary estimates of the likelihood of human error in each task, and determined the skills needed to perform each RAB task. The findings of the function and task analysis served as the foundation for the remainder of the project, which evaluated four major aspects of the RAB system linked to human error: human-system interfaces; procedures and practices; training and qualifications of RAB staff; and organizational practices and policies. At its completion, the project identified and prioritized areas for recommended NRC and industry attention based on all of the evaluations and analyses

Improved cell therapy protocols for Parkinson's disease based on differentiation efficiency and safety of hESC-, hiPSC-, and non-human primate iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sundberg, Maria; Bogetofte, Helle; Lawson, Tristan

2013-01-01

of safety and efficacy of stem cell-derived DA neurons. The aim of this study was to improve the safety of human- and non-human primate iPSC (PiPSC)-derived DA neurons. According to our results, NCAM(+) /CD29(low) sorting enriched VM DA neurons from pluripotent stem cell-derived neural cell populations......The main motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease are due to the loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the ventral midbrain (VM). For the future treatment of Parkinson's disease with cell transplantation it is important to develop efficient differentiation methods for production of human iPSCs and h......ESCs-derived midbrain-type DA neurons. Here we describe an efficient differentiation and sorting strategy for DA neurons from both human ES/iPS cells and non-human primate iPSCs. The use of non-human primate iPSCs for neuronal differentiation and autologous transplantation is important for preclinical evaluation...

Air quality and human health improvements from reduced deforestation in Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Reddington, C.; Butt, E. W.; Ridley, D. A.; Artaxo, P.; Morgan, W.; Coe, H.; Spracklen, D. V.

2015-12-01

Significant areas of the Brazilian Amazon have been deforested over the past few decades, with fire being the dominant method through which forests and vegetation are cleared. Fires emit large quantities of particulate matter into the atmosphere, degrading air quality and negatively impacting human health. Since 2004, Brazil has achieved substantial reductions in deforestation rates and associated deforestation fires. Here we assess the impact of this reduction on air quality and human health. We show that dry season (August - October) aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieved by satellite over southwest Brazil and Bolivia is positively related to Brazil's annual deforestation rate (r=0.96, Pannually across South America. Future increases in Brazil's deforestation rates and associated fires may threaten the improved air quality reported here.

Human factors evaluation of man-machine interface for periodic safety review of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Yong Hee; Lee, Jung Woon; Park, Jae Chang; Hwang, In Koo; Lee, Hyun Cheol; Jang, Tong Il; Ku, Jin Young; Kim, Soo Jin

2004-12-01

This report describes the research results of human factors assessment on the MMI(Man Machine Interface) equipment as part of Periodic Safety Review(PSR) of Nuclear Power Plants(NPPs). As MMI is a key factor among human factors to be reviewed in PSR, we reviewed the MMI components of nuclear power plants in aspect of human factors engineering. The availability, suitability, and effectiveness of the MMI devices were chosen to be reviewed. The MMI devices were investigated through the review of design documents related to the MMI, survey of control panels, evaluation of experts, and experimental assessment. Checklists were used to perform this assessment and record the review results. The items mentioned by the expert comments to review in detail in relation with task procedures were tested by experiments with operators' participation. For some questionable issues arisen during this MMI review, operator workload and possibility of errors in operator actions were analysed. The reviewed MMI devices contain MCR(Main Control Room), SPDS(Safety Parameter Display System), RSP(Remote Shutdown Panel), and the selected LCBs(Local Control Boards) importantly related to safety. As results of the assessments, any significant problem challenging the safety was not found on human factors in the MMI devices. However, several small items to be changed and improved in suitability of MMI devices were discovered. An action plan is recommended to accommodate the suggestions and review comments. It will enhance the plant safety on MMI area

Ex vivo human skin evaluation of localized fat reduction and anti-aging effect by TriPollar radio frequency treatments.

Science.gov (United States)

Boisnic, Sylvie; Branchet, Marie Christine

2010-02-01

A wide variety of radio frequency (RF) treatments for localized fat and cellulite reduction as well as anti-aging are available nowadays, but only a few have shown the biological mechanism responsible for the clinical results. To determine the biological mechanism of the TriPollar RF device for localized fat and cellulite reduction as well as the collagen remodeling effect. Human skin samples were collected from abdominoplasty surgery and facial lifts, in order to evaluate the lipolytic and anti-aging effects of the apollo device powered by TriPollar RF technology using an ex vivo human skin model. The anti-cellulite effect was evaluated by the dosage of released glycerol and histological analysis of the hypodermis. Skin tightening was evaluated by morphometric analysis of collagen fibers and the dosage of collagen synthesis. Following TriPollar treatment, a significant increase of glycerol release by skin samples was found. The structure of fat cells was altered in shape and a modification of the fibrous tract was also detected in the fat layer. Additional findings indicated stimulation of the dermal fibroblasts with increased collagen synthesis. The detected alteration in the hypodermal layer is manifested by fat and cellulite reduction accompanied by structural and biochemical improvement of dermal collagen, which result in overall skin tightening.

Human gene therapy: novel approaches to improve the current gene delivery systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Cucchiarini, Magali

2016-06-01

Even though gene therapy made its way through the clinics to treat a number of human pathologies since the early years of experimental research and despite the recent approval of the first gene-based product (Glybera) in Europe, the safe and effective use of gene transfer vectors remains a challenge in human gene therapy due to the existence of barriers in the host organism. While work is under active investigation to improve the gene transfer systems themselves, the use of controlled release approaches may offer alternative, convenient tools of vector delivery to achieve a performant gene transfer in vivo while overcoming the various physiological barriers that preclude its wide use in patients. This article provides an overview of the most significant contributions showing how the principles of controlled release strategies may be adapted for human gene therapy.

Human Resource Development (HRD) Evaluation and Principles Related to the Public Interest

Science.gov (United States)

Russ-Eft, Darlene F.

2009-01-01

This paper examines the issues involved in the use of ethical standards related to social responsibility using the two ethical codes: the American Evaluation Association "Guiding Principles for Evaluators" and the Academy of Human Resource Development "Standards on Ethics and Integrity." This examination will take the perspective of an internal…

Human Information Behaviour and Design, Development and Evaluation of Information Retrieval Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Keshavarz, Hamid

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of human information behaviour and to explore the relationship between information behaviour of users and the existing approaches dominating design and evaluation of information retrieval (IR) systems and also to describe briefly new design and evaluation methods in which extensive…

Evaluating low dose ionizing radiation effects on gene expression in human skin biopsy cores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldberg, Z.; Schwietert, C.; Stern, R.L.; Lehnert, B.E.

2003-01-01

Significant biological effects can occur in animals, animal cells, immortalized human cell lines, and primary human cells after exposure to doses of ionizing radiation (IR) in the <1-10 cGy region. However it is unclear how these observations mimic or even pertain to the actual in vivo condition in humans, though such knowledge is required for reducing the uncertainty of assessing human risks due to low dose IR (LDIR) exposures. Further, low dose effects have increasing clinical relevance in the radiotherapeutic management of cancer as the volume of tissue receiving only LDIR increases as more targeted radiotherapy (i.e. IMRT) becomes more widely used. Thus, human translational data must be obtained with which to correlate in vitro experimental findings and evaluate their 'real-life' applicability. To evaluate LDIR effects in human tissue we have obtained freshly explanted full thickness human skin samples obtained from aesthetic surgery, and subjected them to ex vivo irradiation as a translational research model system of a complex human tissue. Ionizing radiation (IR) exposures were delivered at 1, 10, or 100 cGy. The temporal response to IR was assessed by harvesting RNA at multiple time points out to 24 hours post IR. Gene expression changes were assessed by real time PCR. We have shown that RNA can be reliably extracted with fidelity from 3 mm diameter punch biopsies of human tissue and provide good quality sample for the real time PCR evaluation. Genes of interest include those reported to have altered expression following LDIR from in vitro cell culture models. These include genes associated with cell cycle regulation, DNA repair and various cytokines. These feasibility studies in human skin irradiated ex vivo, have demonstrated that gene expression can be measured accurately from very small human tissue samples, thus setting the stage for biopsy acquisition of tissue irradiated in vivo from patients-volunteers. The clinical study has begun and the data from

A public data set of human balance evaluations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Damiana A. Santos

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The goal of this study was to create a public data set with results of qualitative and quantitative evaluations related to human balance. Subject’s balance was evaluated by posturography using a force platform and by the Mini Balance Evaluation Systems Tests. In the posturography test, we evaluated subjects standing still for 60 s in four different conditions where vision and the standing surface were manipulated: on a rigid surface with eyes open; on a rigid surface with eyes closed; on an unstable surface with eyes open; on an unstable surface with eyes closed. Each condition was performed three times and the order of the conditions was randomized. In addition, the following tests were employed in order to better characterize each subject: Short Falls Efficacy Scale International; International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Version; and Trail Making Test. The subjects were also interviewed to collect information about their socio-cultural, demographic, and health characteristics. The data set comprises signals from the force platform (raw data for the force, moments of forces, and centers of pressure of 163 subjects plus one file with information about the subjects and balance conditions and the results of the other evaluations. All the data is available at PhysioNet and at Figshare.

Evaluation of human collagen biomaterials in the healing of colonic anastomoses in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Mutter, D; Aprahamian, M; Tiollier, J; Sonzini, P; Marescaux, J

1997-04-01

To investigate the ability of human collagen biomaterials to secure colonic anastomoses in dogs and to evaluate the biocompatibility of anastomotic protection patches (APP). Experimental open study. Experimental research centre, France. 21 mongrel dogs randomised into three groups of 7 each. Standard transverse colonic end-to-end anastomoses were secured with two-layer oxidised collagen I + III sponge covered with thin crosslinked collagen IV film (APP 1) glued around the suture (n = 7); two-layer oxidised collagen I + III sponge covered with thin non-crosslinked collagen I + III film patch (APP 2) (n = 7); or sealed by fibrin sealant (n = 7), which acted as a controls. Gross examination, radiological control (barium enemas), and microscopic examination on day 35 postoperatively. Gross clinical and radiological examinations on day 35 showed normal wound healing in all but one dog in which the anastomoses had occluded by day 16. There was significantly less stricturing with the APP 2 patch (p < 0.05 compared with the controls). Microscopic examination showed complete absorption of the APP 2 patches as well as quicker mucosal and extracellular matrix repair than controls. The APP 1 patch gave the best healing of the muscular layer but did not reduce anastomosis stricturing, and was not totally absorbed. Collagen supporting devices do not alter healing of the large bowel. Encircling patches do not increase the number of adhesions or the rate of anastomotic stricturing and a thin fibrillar collagen I + III dense layer may even improve it. The speed of absorption of the patch depends on the type of dense collagen film. These results argue for a prospective clinical evaluation in humans.

Evaluation of camouflage pattern performance of textiles by human observers and CAMAELEON

Science.gov (United States)

Heinrich, Daniela H.; Selj, Gorm K.

2017-10-01

Military textiles with camouflage pattern are an important part of the protection measures for soldiers. Military operational environments differ a lot depending on climate and vegetation. This requires very different camouflage pattern to achieve good protection. To find the best performing pattern for given environments we have in earlier evaluations mainly applied observer trials as evaluation method. In these camouflage evaluation test human observers were asked to search for targets (in natural settings) presented on a high resolution PC screen, and the corresponding detection times were recorded. Another possibility is to base the evaluation on simulations. CAMAELEON is a licensed tool that ranks camouflaged targets by their similarity with local backgrounds. The similarity is estimated through the parameters local contrast, orientation of structures in the pattern and spatial frequency, by mimicking the response and signal processing in the visual cortex of the human eye. Simulations have a number of advantages over observer trials, for example, that they are more flexible, cheaper, and faster. Applying these two methods to the same images of camouflaged targets we found that CAMAELEON simulation results didn't match observer trial results for targets with disruptive patterns. This finding now calls for follow up studies in order to learn more about the advantages and pitfalls of CAMAELEON. During recent observer trials we studied new camouflage patterns and the effect of additional equipment, such as combat vests. In this paper we will present the results from a study comparing evaluation results of human based observer trials and CAMAELEON.

A Step beyond Univision Evaluation: Using a Systems Model of Performance Improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Sleezer, Catherine M.; Zhang, Jiping; Gradous, Deane B.; Maile, Craig

1999-01-01

Examines three views of performance improvement--scientific management, instructional design, and systems thinking--each providing a unique view of performance improvement and specific roles for evaluation. Provides an integrated definition of performance and a synthesis model that encompasses the three views. (AEF)

A quantitative evaluation system of Chinese journals in the humanities and social sciences

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

SU; Xinning; ZHOU; Ping

2009-01-01

Based on analyses on existing indicators for evaluating journals in the humanities and social sciences and our experience in constructing the Chinese Social Science Citation Index(CSSCI),we proposed a comprehensive system for evaluating Chinese academic journals in the humanities and social sciences.This system constitutes 8 primary indicators and 17 sub-indicators for multidisciplinary journals and 19 sub-indicators for discipline-specific journals.Each indicator or sub-indicator is assigned a suitable weight according to its importance in terms of measuring a journal’s academic quality and/or impact.

Sensitivity evaluation of human factors for reliability of the containment spray system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsujimura, Yasuhiro; Suzuki, Eiji

1988-01-01

Evaluation of the human reliability is one of the most difficult problems that deal with the safety and reliability of large systems, especially of the Engineered Safety Features (ESF) of the nuclear power plant. Influences of human factors on the reliability of the Containment Spray System in the ESF were estimated by using the FTA method in this paper. As a result, the adequacy of the system structure and the effects of human factors on variations of the design of the system structure were explained. (author)

Evaluating Inequality or Injustice in Water Use for Food

Science.gov (United States)

D'Odorico, P.; Carr, J. A.; Seekell, D. A.

2014-12-01

Water availability and population density distributions are uneven and therefore inequality exists in human access to freshwater resources; but is this inequality unjust or only regrettable? To examine this question we formulated and evaluated elementary principles of water ethics relative to human rights for water and explored the need for global trade to improve societal access to water by transferring plant and animal commodities and the "virtual water" embedded in them. We defined human welfare benchmarks and evaluated country specific patterns of water use for food with, and without trade, over a 25-year period in order to elucidate the influence of trade and inequality on equability of water use. We found that trade improves mean water use and wellbeing, when related to human welfare benchmarks, suggesting that inequality is regrettable but not necessarily unjust. However, trade has not significantly contributed to redressing inequality. Hence, directed trade decisions can improve future conditions of water and food scarcity through reduced inequality.

Human resource management interventions to improve health workers' performance in low and middle income countries: a realist review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

van der Wilt Gert Jan

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Improving health workers' performance is vital for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. In the literature on human resource management (HRM interventions to improve health workers' performance in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC, hardly any attention has been paid to the question how HRM interventions might bring about outcomes and in which contexts. Such information is, however, critical to assess the transferability of results. Our aim was to explore if realist review of published primary research provides better insight into the functioning of HRM interventions in LMIC. Methodology A realist review not only asks whether an intervention has shown to be effective, but also through which mechanisms an intervention produces outcomes and which contextual factors appear to be of critical influence. Forty-eight published studies were reviewed. Results The results show that HRM interventions can improve health workers' performance, but that different contexts produce different outcomes. Critical implementation aspects were involvement of local authorities, communities and management; adaptation to the local situation; and active involvement of local staff to identify and implement solutions to problems. Mechanisms that triggered change were increased knowledge and skills, feeling obliged to change and health workers' motivation. Mechanisms to contribute to motivation were health workers' awareness of local problems and staff empowerment, gaining acceptance of new information and creating a sense of belonging and respect. In addition, staff was motivated by visible improvements in quality of care and salary supplements. Only a limited variety of HRM interventions have been evaluated in the health sector in LMIC. Assumptions underlying HRM interventions are usually not made explicit, hampering our understanding of how HRM interventions work. Conclusion Application of a realist perspective allows identifying which HRM

EVALUATION OF PROFESSIONALISM IN HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BÎRCĂ ALIC

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This paper refers to the specialisation of human resources management. Starting from the idea that, human resources specialists are responsible for a number of activities within organizations, it is necessary that they possess the knowledge and skills required to perform them. HR specialists must be able to apply the principles and practices of human resources to add to the success of their organizations. Beyond these requirements, a specialist in human resources must also be efficient on ethical, communication, consultancy, critical evaluation issues etc. Moreover, the article describes the range of skill that human resources specialists should possess. In addition, nowadays it is a must for human resources specialists to assume certain roles to efficiently perform the activities related to the human resources management. The article also shows the real situation in the specialisation of human resources management in the Republic of Moldova. Therefore, a study was conducted that aimed at linking the studies held by the employees from the human resources division to the importance of human resources management activities.

Evaluation of multimodal feedback effects on improving rowing competencies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Korman Maria

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This study focused on the selection and preliminary evaluation of different types of modal and information feedback in virtual environment to facilitate acquisition and transfer of a complex motor-cognitive skill of rowing. Specifically, we addressed the effectiveness of immediate information feedback provided visually as compared to sensory haptic feedback on the improvement in hands kinematics and changes in cognitive load during the course of learning the basic rowing technique. Several pilot experiments described in this report lead to the evaluation and optimization of the training protocol, to enhance facilitatory effects of adding visual and haptic feedback during training.

Improving a gold standard: treating human relevance judgments of MEDLINE document pairs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kim Won

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Given prior human judgments of the condition of an object it is possible to use these judgments to make a maximal likelihood estimate of what future human judgments of the condition of that object will be. However, if one has a reasonably large collection of similar objects and the prior human judgments of a number of judges regarding the condition of each object in the collection, then it is possible to make predictions of future human judgments for the whole collection that are superior to the simple maximal likelihood estimate for each object in isolation. This is possible because the multiple judgments over the collection allow an analysis to determine the relative value of a judge as compared with the other judges in the group and this value can be used to augment or diminish a particular judge’s influence in predicting future judgments. Here we study and compare five different methods for making such improved predictions and show that each is superior to simple maximal likelihood estimates.

HUMAN CAPITAL IN ISLAMIC BANK AND ITS EFFECT ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF HEALTHY ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muafi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Human resources have become one of strategic issues of Islamic banking in Indonesia. Islamic bank is important to have a good human capital, who has specialized knowledge and expertise related to Islamic aspects. The quality of human resource that is bad will affect the organization to grow unhealthy and also the employee performance. This research aims to test and analyze the role of human capital that affect the healthy organization and the employee performance. This research was conducted on all employees of Islamic banks in the Province of Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY and East Java. The reason is because nowadays, Islamic banking in Indonesia is experiencing a slowdown growth of business performance, especially market share so that it needs human capital with good quality. Sampling technique is using purposive sampling. Bank employees came from Islamic bank, government bank, and private bank. The result concludes that human capital (HC has significant positive effect on the improvement of employee performance (EP and healthy organization (HO. Meanwhile, healthy organization (HO has significant positive effect on the improvement of employee performance (EP. Healthy organization mediates the relationship between human capital and employee performance.

Heart rate responses provide an objective evaluation of human disturbance stimuli in breeding birds.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellenberg, Ursula; Mattern, Thomas; Seddon, Philip J

2013-01-01

Intuition is a poor guide for evaluating the effects of human disturbance on wildlife. Using the endangered Yellow-eyed penguin, Megadyptes antipodes, as an example, we show that heart rate responses provide an objective tool to evaluate human disturbance stimuli and encourage the wider use of this simple and low-impact approach. Yellow-eyed penguins are a flagship species for New Zealand's wildlife tourism; however, unregulated visitor access has recently been associated with reduced breeding success and lower first year survival. We measured heart rate responses of Yellow-eyed penguins via artificial eggs to evaluate a range of human stimuli regularly occurring at their breeding sites. We found the duration of a stimulus to be the most important factor, with elevated heart rate being sustained while a person remained within sight. Human activity was the next important component; a simulated wildlife photographer, crawling slowly around during his stay, elicited a significantly higher heart rate response than an entirely motionless human spending the same time at the same distance. Stimuli we subjectively might perceive as low impact, such as the careful approach of a 'wildlife photographer', resulted in a stronger response than a routine nest-check that involved lifting a bird up to view nest contents. A single, slow-moving human spending 20 min within 2 m from the nest may provoke a response comparable to that of 10 min handling a bird for logger deployment. To reduce cumulative impact of disturbance, any human presence in the proximity of Yellow-eyed penguins needs to be kept at a minimum. Our results highlight the need for objective quantification of the effects of human disturbance in order to provide a sound basis for guidelines to manage human activity around breeding birds.

Value for money of changing healthcare services? Economic evaluation of quality improvement

Science.gov (United States)

Severens, J

2003-01-01



 There are many instances of perceived or real inefficiencies in health service delivery. Both healthcare providers and policy makers need to know the impact and cost of applying strategies to change the behaviour of individuals or organisations. Quality improvement or implementation research is concerned with evaluating the methods of behavioural change. Addressing inefficiencies in healthcare services raises a series of issues, beginning with how inefficiency itself should be defined. The basic concepts of cost analysis and economic evaluations are explained and a model for working through the economic issues of quality improvement is discussed. This model combines the costs and benefits of corrected inefficiency with the costs and degree of behavioural change achieved by a quality improvement method in the policy maker's locality. It shows why it may not always be cost effective for policy makers to address suboptimal behaviour. Both the interpretation of quality improvement research findings and their local application need careful consideration. The limited availability of applicable quality improvement research may make it difficult to provide robust advice on the value for money of many behavioural quality improvement strategies. PMID:14532369

Human reliability analysis as an evaluation tool of the emergency evacuation process on industrial installation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos, Isaac J.A.L. dos; Grecco, Claudio H.S.; Mol, Antonio C.A.; Carvalho, Paulo V.R.; Oliveira, Mauro V.; Botelho, Felipe Mury [Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear (IEN/CNEN-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)]. E-mail: luquetti@ien.gov.br; grecco@ien.gov.br; mol@ien.gov.br; paulov@ien.gov.br; mvitor@ien.gov.br; felipemury@superig.com.br

2007-07-01

Human reliability is the probability that a person correctly performs some required activity by the system in a required time period and performs no extraneous activity that can degrade the system. Human reliability analysis (HRA) is the analysis, prediction and evaluation of work-oriented human performance using some indices as human error likelihood and probability of task accomplishment. The human error concept must not have connotation of guilt and punishment, having to be treated as a natural consequence, that emerges due to the not continuity between the human capacity and the system demand. The majority of the human error is a consequence of the work situation and not of the responsibility lack of the worker. The anticipation and the control of potentially adverse impacts of human action or interactions between the humans and the system are integral parts of the process safety, where the factors that influence the human performance must be recognized and managed. The aim of this paper is to propose a methodology to evaluate the emergency evacuation process on industrial installations including SLIM-MAUD, a HRA first-generation method, and using virtual reality and simulation software to build and to simulate the chosen emergency scenes. (author)

Human reliability analysis as an evaluation tool of the emergency evacuation process on industrial installation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, Isaac J.A.L. dos; Grecco, Claudio H.S.; Mol, Antonio C.A.; Carvalho, Paulo V.R.; Oliveira, Mauro V.; Botelho, Felipe Mury

2007-01-01

Human reliability is the probability that a person correctly performs some required activity by the system in a required time period and performs no extraneous activity that can degrade the system. Human reliability analysis (HRA) is the analysis, prediction and evaluation of work-oriented human performance using some indices as human error likelihood and probability of task accomplishment. The human error concept must not have connotation of guilt and punishment, having to be treated as a natural consequence, that emerges due to the not continuity between the human capacity and the system demand. The majority of the human error is a consequence of the work situation and not of the responsibility lack of the worker. The anticipation and the control of potentially adverse impacts of human action or interactions between the humans and the system are integral parts of the process safety, where the factors that influence the human performance must be recognized and managed. The aim of this paper is to propose a methodology to evaluate the emergency evacuation process on industrial installations including SLIM-MAUD, a HRA first-generation method, and using virtual reality and simulation software to build and to simulate the chosen emergency scenes. (author)

Serial MR evaluations of human immunodeficiency virus-positive homosexual men

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, W.A.; Maravilla, K.R.; Gerlach, R.; Claypool, K.; Coombs, R.; Collier, A.

1989-01-01

This paper presents an evaluation of the progression of neurologic and neuropsy chological dysfunction in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive homosexual men in order to define the natural history of this disease. Markers predictive of disease progression are discussed. Experimental methods and materials are included and results are assessed

Improving Evaluation to Address the Unintended Consequences of Health Information Technology:

Science.gov (United States)

Ammenwerth, E.; Hyppönen, H.; de Keizer, N.; Nykänen, P.; Rigby, M.; Scott, P.; Talmon, J.; Georgiou, A.

2016-01-01

Summary Background and objectives With growing use of IT by healthcare professionals and patients, the opportunity for any unintended effects of technology to disrupt care health processes and outcomes is intensified. The objectives of this position paper by the IMIA Working Group (WG) on Technology Assessment and Quality Development are to highlight how our ongoing initiatives to enhance evaluation are also addressing the unintended consequences of health IT. Methods Review of WG initiatives Results We argue that an evidence-based approach underpinned by rigorous evaluation is fundamental to the safe and effective use of IT, and for detecting and addressing its unintended consequences in a timely manner. We provide an overview of our ongoing initiatives to strengthen study design, execution and reporting by using evaluation frameworks and guidelines which can enable better characterization and monitoring of unintended consequences, including the Good Evaluation Practice Guideline in Health Informatics (GEP-HI) and the Statement on Reporting of Evaluation Studies in Health Informatics (STARE-HI). Indicators to benchmark the adoption and impact of IT can similarly be used to monitor unintended effects on healthcare structures, processes and outcome. We have also developed EvalDB, a web-based database of evaluation studies to promulgate evidence about unintended effects and are developing the content for courses to improve training in health IT evaluation. Conclusion Evaluation is an essential ingredient for the effective use of IT to improve healthcare quality and patient safety. WG resources and skills development initiatives can facilitate a proactive and evidence-based approach to detecting and addressing the unintended effects of health IT. PMID:27830232

Human-carnivore conflict in China: a review of current approaches with recommendations for improved management.

Science.gov (United States)

Pettigrew, Melissa; Xie, Yan; Kang, Aili; Rao, Madhu; Goodrich, John; Liu, Tong; Berger, Joshua

2012-06-01

Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is a conservation concern that increasingly threatens the continued existence of some of the world's most endangered species. With an increase in human population, urban sprawl and subsequent encroachment on wild land, human and wildlife interaction has become inevitable. In the majority of cases, this interaction results in a negative outcome for humans, wildlife or both. In China, these key elements, along with a decrease in wild prey species, have resulted in the expansion of HWC encounters, and the need for alleviating this conflict has become a conservation priority. Loss of human life, livestock and/or crops is most often the catalysts that fuel HWC. Techniques to alleviate conflict around the world have included preventative measures and mitigation techniques, such as financial compensation and other incentive programs. Both types of measures have had variable success. We review the current status of human-carnivore conflict management in China, and, drawing lessons from around the globe, we make recommendations for improving conservation management in China. For example, an increase in law enforcement in nature reserves is vital to reducing human disturbance in prime carnivore habitat, thereby reducing conflict encounters. Also, modifications to current wildlife compensation programs, so that they are linked with preventative measures, will ensure that moral hazards are avoided. Furthermore, investigating the potential for a community self-financed insurance scheme to fund compensation and increasing efforts to restore wild prey populations will improve the outcome for wildlife conservation. Ultimately, HWC management in China will greatly benefit from an integrative approach. © 2012 ISZS, Blackwell Publishing and IOZ/CAS.

Reinforcement learning improves behaviour from evaluative feedback

Science.gov (United States)

Littman, Michael L.

2015-05-01

Reinforcement learning is a branch of machine learning concerned with using experience gained through interacting with the world and evaluative feedback to improve a system's ability to make behavioural decisions. It has been called the artificial intelligence problem in a microcosm because learning algorithms must act autonomously to perform well and achieve their goals. Partly driven by the increasing availability of rich data, recent years have seen exciting advances in the theory and practice of reinforcement learning, including developments in fundamental technical areas such as generalization, planning, exploration and empirical methodology, leading to increasing applicability to real-life problems.

Monitoring and Evaluation of Human Trafficking Partnerships in England and Wales

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruth Van Dyke

2017-04-01

Full Text Available In the United Kingdom, human trafficking and, more recently, modern slavery has been pushed up the political and policy agenda. At the same time, partnership working has been promoted at international and national levels in order to encourage a more holistic response to trafficking. This article examines the nature of the evidence collected to monitor and evaluate the activities and outcomes of organisations involved in a number of human trafficking partnerships in England and Wales. Underpinning this analysis is the ‘4 Ps’ approach to tackling human trafficking: Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Partnership. Based on interviews with a variety of actors working in different partner bodies, limitations of evidence in relation to both monitoring activities as well as evaluating outcomes emerged. These relate to inadequate data collection, lack of robust methods of data collection, untested assumptions, the complexity of gathering evidence which reflect human welfare oriented goals, and the sharing of evidence between partner organisations. A key finding is that current data and methods of data collection are inadequate for the purpose of measuring the effectiveness of anti-trafficking initiatives and partnerships. Another key finding is the way in which partnerships challenged received outcomes and expanded their focus beyond victims of trafficking or criminal justice goals. Finally, I explore whether criminal justice outcomes can be leveraged to foster deterrence, by interrogating what evidence might be needed.

Effectively Managing Nuclear Risk Through Human Performance Improvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coe, Richard; Lake, Patricia

2003-01-01

The U.S. commercial nuclear industry has just completed an outstanding decade of plant performance. Safety levels and electric production are at unprecedented high levels and continue to exceed even high industry goals. Nuclear energy continues to keep the highest priority on performance improvement programs and highly trained and qualified people that maintain its record setting safety and reliability of operations. While the industry has maintained a high level of performance, the advent of deregulation and the consolidation of nuclear power plant ownership, as well as the current climate for concern about both rising energy costs and the availability of power, have raised the standard for nuclear energy's level of competitiveness in today's market place. The resulting challenge is how to more effectively manage risk and to improve performance even further in a generally high-performing industry. One of the most effective ways to develop this culture is to apply the principles of Hum an Performance Technology, or HPT. HPT is a relatively new field. Its principles are derived from the research and practice of behavioral and cognitive psychologists, instructional technologists, training designers, organizational developers, and various human resource specialists. Using the principles of HPT can help the nuclear industry successfully meet ever-changing environmental and business demands

Improvement of Heart Failure by Human Amniotic Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Transplantation in Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Razavi Tousi, Seyed Mohammad Taghi; Faghihi, Mahdieh; Nobakht, Maliheh; Molazem, Mohammad; Kalantari, Elham; Darbandi Azar, Amir; Aboutaleb, Nahid

2016-07-06

Background: Recently, stem cells have been considered for the treatment of heart diseases, but no marked improvement has been recorded. This is the first study to examine the functional and histological effects of the transplantation of human amniotic mesenchymal stromal cells (hAMSCs) in rats with heart failure (HF). Methods: This study was conducted in the years 2014 and 2015. 35 male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into 5 equal experimental groups (7 rats each) as 1- Control 2- Heart Failure (HF) 3- Sham 4- Culture media 5- Stem Cell Transplantation (SCT). Heart failure was induced using 170 mg/kg/d of isoproterenol subcutaneously injection in 4 consecutive days. The failure confirmed by the rat cardiac echocardiography on day 28. In SCT group, 3×10 6 cells in 150 µl of culture media were transplanted to the myocardium. At the end, echocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters together with histological evaluation were done. Results: Echocardiography results showed that cardiac ejection fraction in HF group increased from 58/73 ± 9% to 81/25 ± 6/05% in SCT group (p value < 0.001). Fraction shortening in HF group was increased from 27/53 ± 8/58% into 45/55 ± 6/91% in SCT group (p value < 0.001). Furthermore, hAMSCs therapy significantly improved mean diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, left ventricular systolic pressure, rate pressure product, and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure compared to those in the HF group, with the values reaching the normal levels in the control group. A marked reduction in fibrosis tissue was also found in the SCT group (p value < 0.001) compared with the animals in the HF group. Conclusion: The transplantation of hAMSCs in rats with heart failure not only decreased the level of fibrosis but also conferred significant improvement in heart performance in terms of echocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters.

Recombinant human endostatin improves tumor vasculature and alleviates hypoxia in Lewis lung carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng Fang; Wang Jin; Zou Yi; Bao Yong; Huang Wenlin; Chen Guangming; Luo Xianrong; Chen Ming

2011-01-01

Objective: To investigate whether recombinant human endostatin can create a time window of vascular normalization prior to vascular pruning to alleviate hypoxia in Lewis lung carcinoma in mice. Methods: Kinetic changes in morphology of tumor vasculature in response to recombinant human endostatin were detected under a confocal microscope with immunofluorescent staining in Lewis lung carcinomas in mice. The hypoxic cell fraction of different time was assessed with immunohistochemical staining . Effects on tumor growth were monitored as indicated in the growth curve of tumors . Results: Compared with the control group vascularity of the tumors was reduced over time by recombinant human endostatin treatment and significantly regressed for 9 days. During the treatment, pericyte coverage increased at day 3, increased markedly at day 5, and fell again at day 7. The vascular basement membrane was thin and closely associated with endothelial cells after recombinant human endostatin treatment, but appeared thickened, loosely associated with endothelial cells in control tumors. The decrease in hypoxic cell fraction at day 5 after treatment was also found. Tumor growth was not accelerated 5 days after recombinant human endostatin treatment. Conclusions: Recombinant human endostatin can normalize tumor vasculature within day 3 to 7, leading to improved tumor oxygenation. The results provide important experimental basis for combining recombinant human endostatin with radiation therapy in human tumors. (authors)

Evaluation of Criteria-Based Clinical Audit in Improving Quality of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Erah

ABSTRACT. Study evaluated criteria–based clinical audit in measuring and improving quality of obstetric care for five life-threatening obstetric complications: obstetric haemorrhage, eclampsia, genital tract infections, obstructed labor and uterine rupture. Clinical management of 65 patients was audited using a 'before.

Computational Integration of Human Genetic Data to Evaluate AOP-Specific Susceptibility

Science.gov (United States)

There is a need for approaches to efficiently evaluate human genetic variability and susceptibility related to environmental chemical exposure. Direct estimation of the genetic contribution to variability in susceptibility to environmental chemicals is only possible in special ca...

Co-Culture with Human Osteoblasts and Exposure to Extremely Low Frequency Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields Improve Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabrina Ehnert

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (Ad-MSCs have been proposed as suitable option for cell-based therapies to support bone regeneration. In the bone environment, Ad-MSCs will receive stimuli from resident cells that may favor their osteogenic differentiation. There is recent evidence that this process can be further improved by extremely low frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields (ELF-PEMFs. Thus, the project aimed at (i investigating whether co-culture conditions of human osteoblasts (OBs and Ad-MSCs have an impact on their proliferation and osteogenic differentiation; (ii whether this effect can be further improved by repetitive exposure to two specific ELF-PEMFs (16 and 26 Hz; (iii and the effect of these ELF-PEMFs on human osteoclasts (OCs. Osteogenic differentiation was improved by co-culturing OBs and Ad-MSCs when compared to the individual mono-cultures. An OB to Ad-MSC ratio of 3:1 had best effects on total protein content, alkaline phosphatase (AP activity, and matrix mineralization. Osteogenic differentiation was further improved by both ELF-PEMFs investigated. Interestingly, only repetitive exposure to 26 Hz ELF-PEMF increased Trap5B activity in OCs. Considering this result, a treatment with gradually increasing frequency might be of interest, as the lower frequency (16 Hz could enhance bone formation, while the higher frequency (26 Hz could enhance bone remodeling.

Evaluation of an enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot test for the confirmatory serodiagnosis of human toxocariasis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William H Roldán

2009-05-01

Full Text Available To improve the serodiagnosis of human toxocariasis, a sensitive and specific enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB-IgG test was developed and evaluated using Toxocara canislarvae excretory-secretory antigens for detecting anti-Toxocara IgG antibodies. The EITB-IgG profile of toxocariasis was characterized by comparing 27 sera from patients with toxocariasis, 110 sera from healthy subjects and 186 sera from patients with other helminth diseases (ascariasis, ancylostomiasis, trichuriasis, enterobiasis, strongyloidiasis, hymenolepiasis, diphyllobothriasis, taeniasis, cysticercosis, hydatidosis and fascioliasis. Antigenic bands of 24, 28, 30, 35, 56, 117, 136 and 152 kDa were predominantly recognized in sera from all patients with toxocariasis. However, only bands of 24-35 kDa were highly specific for Toxocara infection (98.3%, whereas other antigenic bands observed displayed cross-reactivity. Additionally, when the results of the EITB-IgG test were compared to those of the ELISA-IgG test, a 100% concordance was observed for positive results in human toxocariasis cases. The concordance for negative results between the two tests for healthy subjects and patients with other helminth diseases were 96.3% and 53.7%, respectively, showing that the EITB-IgG test has a higher specificity than ELISA. In conclusion, the EITB-IgG test is a very useful tool to confirm the serological diagnosis of human toxocariasis.

Networking to Improve Nutrition Policy Research

OpenAIRE

Kim, Sonia A.; Blanck, Heidi M.; Cradock, Angie; Gortmaker, Steven

2015-01-01

Effective nutrition and obesity policies that improve the food environments in which Americans live, work, and play can have positive effects on the quality of human diets. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network (NOPREN) conducts transdisciplinary practice-based policy research and evaluation to foster understanding of the effectiveness of nutrition policies. The articles in this special collection bring to light a...

Improved Detection of Human Respiration Using Data Fusion Basedon a Multistatic UWB Radar

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Hao Lv

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This paper investigated the feasibility for improved detection of human respiration using data fusion based on a multistatic ultra-wideband (UWB radar. UWB-radar-based respiration detection is an emerging technology that has great promise in practice. It can be applied to remotely sense the presence of a human target for through-wall surveillance, post-earthquake search and rescue, etc. In these applications, a human target’s position and posture are not known a priori. Uncertainty of the two factors results in a body orientation issue of UWB radar, namely the human target’s thorax is not always facing the radar. Thus, the radial component of the thorax motion due to respiration decreases and the respiratory motion response contained in UWB radar echoes is too weak to be detected. To cope with the issue, this paper used multisensory information provided by the multistatic UWB radar, which took the form of impulse radios and comprised one transmitting and four separated receiving antennas. An adaptive Kalman filtering algorithm was then designed to fuse the UWB echo data from all the receiving channels to detect the respiratory-motion response contained in those data. In the experiment, a volunteer’s respiration was correctly detected when he curled upon a camp bed behind a brick wall. Under the same scenario, the volunteer’s respiration was detected based on the radar’s single transmitting-receiving channels without data fusion using conventional algorithm, such as adaptive line enhancer and single-channel Kalman filtering. Moreover, performance of the data fusion algorithm was experimentally investigated with different channel combinations and antenna deployments. The experimental results show that the body orientation issue for human respiration detection via UWB radar can be dealt well with the multistatic UWB radar and the Kalman-filter-based data fusion, which can be applied to improve performance of UWB radar in real applications.

Exploring Techniques for Vision Based Human Activity Recognition: Methods, Systems, and Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong Zhang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available With the wide applications of vision based intelligent systems, image and video analysis technologies have attracted the attention of researchers in the computer vision field. In image and video analysis, human activity recognition is an important research direction. By interpreting and understanding human activity, we can recognize and predict the occurrence of crimes and help the police or other agencies react immediately. In the past, a large number of papers have been published on human activity recognition in video and image sequences. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive survey of the recent development of the techniques, including methods, systems, and quantitative evaluation towards the performance of human activity recognition.

Cytotoxicity Evaluation of Two Bis-Acryl Composite Resins Using Human Gingival Fibroblasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonçalves, Fabiano Palmeira; Alves, Gutemberg; Guimarães, Vladi Oliveira; Gallito, Marco Antônio; Oliveira, Felipe; Scelza, Míriam Zaccaro

2016-01-01

Bis-acryl resins are used for temporary dental restorations and have shown advantages over other materials. The aim of this work was to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxicity of two bis-acryl composite resins (Protemp 4 and Luxatemp Star), obtained at 1, 7 and 40 days after mixing the resin components, using a standardized assay employing human primary cells closely related to oral tissues. Human gingival fibroblast cell cultures were exposed for 24 h to either bis-acryl composite resins, polystyrene beads (negative control) and latex (positive control) extracts obtained after incubation by the different periods, at 37 °C under 5% CO2. Cell viability was evaluated using a multiparametric procedure involving sequential assessment (using the same cells) of mitochondrial activity (XTT assay), membrane integrity (neutral red test) and total cell density (crystal violet dye exclusion test). The cells exposed to the resin extracts showed cell viability indexes exceeding 75% after 24 h. Even when cells were exposed to extracts prepared with longer conditioning times, the bis-acryl composite resins showed no significant cytotoxic effects (p>0.05), compared to the control group or in relation to the first 24 h of contact with the products. There were no differences among the results obtained for the bis-acryl composite resins evaluated 24 h, 7 days and 40 days after mixing. It may be concluded that the bis-acryl resins Protemp 4 and Luxatemp Star were cytocompatible with human gingival fibroblasts, suggesting that both materials are suitable for use in contact with human tissues.

Improvements and Limitations of Humanized Mouse Models for HIV Research: NIH/NIAID “Meet the Experts” 2015 Workshop Summary

Science.gov (United States)

Akkina, Ramesh; Allam, Atef; Balazs, Alejandro B.; Blankson, Joel N.; Burnett, John C.; Casares, Sofia; Garcia, J. Victor; Hasenkrug, Kim J.; Kitchen, Scott G.; Klein, Florian; Kumar, Priti; Luster, Andrew D.; Poluektova, Larisa Y.; Rao, Mangala; Shultz, Leonard D.; Zack, Jerome A.

2016-01-01

Abstract The number of humanized mouse models for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and other infectious diseases has expanded rapidly over the past 8 years. Highly immunodeficient mouse strains, such as NOD/SCID/gamma chainnull (NSG, NOG), support better human hematopoietic cell engraftment. Another improvement is the derivation of highly immunodeficient mice, transgenic with human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) and cytokines that supported development of HLA-restricted human T cells and heightened human myeloid cell engraftment. Humanized mice are also used to study the HIV reservoir using new imaging techniques. Despite these advances, there are still limitations in HIV immune responses and deficits in lymphoid structures in these models in addition to xenogeneic graft-versus-host responses. To understand and disseminate the improvements and limitations of humanized mouse models to the scientific community, the NIH sponsored and convened a meeting on April 15, 2015 to discuss the state of knowledge concerning these questions and best practices for selecting a humanized mouse model for a particular scientific investigation. This report summarizes the findings of the NIH meeting. PMID:26670361

Improving occupational health care for construction workers: a process evaluation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boschman, Julitta S.; van der Molen, Henk F.; Sluiter, Judith K.; Frings-Dresen, Monique H. W.

2013-01-01

To evaluate the process of a job-specific workers' health surveillance (WHS) in improving occupational health care for construction workers. From January to July 2012 were 899 bricklayers and supervisors invited for the job-specific WHS at three locations of one occupational health service

Differentiation, Evaluation, and Application of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Endothelial Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yang; Gil, Chang-Hyun; Yoder, Mervin C

2017-11-01

The emergence of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology paves the way to generate large numbers of patient-specific endothelial cells (ECs) that can be potentially delivered for regenerative medicine in patients with cardiovascular disease. In the last decade, numerous protocols that differentiate EC from iPSC have been developed by many groups. In this review, we will discuss several common strategies that have been optimized for human iPSC-EC differentiation and subsequent studies that have evaluated the potential of human iPSC-EC as a cell therapy or as a tool in disease modeling. In addition, we will emphasize the importance of using in vivo vessel-forming ability and in vitro clonogenic colony-forming potential as a gold standard with which to evaluate the quality of human iPSC-EC derived from various protocols. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Genotoxic evaluation of terbinafine in human lymphocytes in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Tolomeotti, Danielle; de Castro-Prado, Marialba Avezum Alves; de Sant'Anna, Juliane Rocha; Martins, Ana Beatriz Tozzo; Della-Rosa, Valter Augusto

2015-01-01

Terbinafine is an antimycotic drug usually used against several superficial fungal infections and with a potential application in the treatment of human cancers. Since to date there are few data on the genotoxic effects of terbinafine in mammalian cells, current study evaluated the potential genotoxic of such antifungal agent in cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Terbinafine was used at the peak plasma concentration (1.0 μg/ml) and in four additional concentrations higher than the human plasmatic peak (5.0 μg/ml, 25.0 μg/ml, 50.0 μg/ml and 100.0 μg/ml). Chromosomal aberrations (CA), sister chromatid exchanges (SCE), micronuclei (MN), nucleoplasmic bridges (NP) and nuclear buds (NB) were scored as genetic endpoints. In all analysis no significant differences (α = 0.05, Kruskal-Wallis test) were observed. Complementary criterion adopted to obtain the final response in cytogenetic agreed with statistical results. Therefore, results of this study showed that terbinafine neither induced CA, SCE, MN, NP and NB nor affected significantly mitotic, replication and cytokinesis-block proliferation indices in any of the tested concentrations. It may be assumed that terbinafine was not genotoxic or cytotoxic to cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes in our experimental conditions.

Digital evaluation of sitting posture comfort in human-vehicle system under Industry 4.0 framework

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Qing; Kang, Jinsheng; Sun, Wenlei; Li, Zhaobo; Huo, Xiao

2016-09-01

Most of the previous studies on the vibration ride comfort of the human-vehicle system were focused only on one or two aspects of the investigation. A hybrid approach which integrates all kinds of investigation methods in real environment and virtual environment is described. The real experimental environment includes the WBV(whole body vibration) test, questionnaires for human subjective sensation and motion capture. The virtual experimental environment includes the theoretical calculation on simplified 5-DOF human body vibration model, the vibration simulation and analysis within ADAMS/VibrationTM module, and the digital human biomechanics and occupational health analysis in Jack software. While the real experimental environment provides realistic and accurate test results, it also serves as core and validation for the virtual experimental environment. The virtual experimental environment takes full advantages of current available vibration simulation and digital human modelling software, and makes it possible to evaluate the sitting posture comfort in a human-vehicle system with various human anthropometric parameters. How this digital evaluation system for car seat comfort design is fitted in the Industry 4.0 framework is also proposed.

Oxygenated fixation demonstrates novel and improved ultrastructural features of the human endolymphatic sac

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Martin Nue; Caye-Thomasen, Per; Qvortrup, Klaus

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of the present study is to describe in detail the ultrastructure of the human endolymphatic sac using a new and improved method of fixation as well as a refined surgical approach in obtaining specimens. STUDY DESIGN: Transmission electron microscopy of the human...... epithelial cell lining in all 18 specimens. In general, we found very well-preserved specimens with well-defined intracellular structures. In contrast to the results in former studies, a minimum of fixation artifacts was observed in the present study. Three different cell types were observed...... endolymphatic sac, employing an oxygenated fixative. METHODS: Eighteen tissue samples of the human endolymphatic sac were obtained during surgery for vestibular schwannoma using the translabyrinthine approach. The specimens were fixed in 2% glutaraldehyde in an oxygenated fluorocarbon blood substitute vehicle...

Stable isotopes to detect food-conditioned bears and to evaluate human-bear management

Science.gov (United States)

Hopkins, John B.; Koch, Paul L.; Schwartz, Charles C.; Ferguson, Jake M.; Greenleaf, Schuyler S.; Kalinowski, Steven T.

2012-01-01

We used genetic and stable isotope analysis of hair from free-ranging black bears (Ursus americanus) in Yosemite National Park, California, USA to: 1) identify bears that consume human food, 2) estimate the diets of these bears, and 3) evaluate the Yosemite human–bear management program. Specifically, we analyzed the isotopic composition of hair from bears known a priori to be food-conditioned or non-food-conditioned and used these data to predict whether bears with an unknown management status were food-conditioned (FC) or non-food-conditioned (NFC). We used a stable isotope mixing model to estimate the proportional contribution of natural foods (plants and animals) versus human food in the diets of FC bears. We then used results from both analyses to evaluate proactive (population-level) and reactive (individual-level) human–bear management, and discussed new metrics to evaluate the overall human–bear management program in Yosemite. Our results indicated that 19 out of 145 (13%) unknown bears sampled from 2005 to 2007 were food-conditioned. The proportion of human food in the diets of known FC bears likely declined from 2001–2003 to 2005–2007, suggesting proactive management was successful in reducing the amount of human food available to bears. In contrast, reactive management was not successful in changing the management status of known FC bears to NFC bears, or in reducing the contribution of human food to the diets of FC bears. Nine known FC bears were recaptured on 14 occasions from 2001 to 2007; all bears were classified as FC during subsequent recaptures, and human–bear management did not reduce the amount of human food in the diets of FC bears. Based on our results, we suggest Yosemite continue implementing proactive human–bear management, reevaluate reactive management, and consider removing problem bears (those involved in repeated bear incidents) from the population.